With record timing, the Core Four and the eccentric fortune teller zoomed through the Isle of the Lost before parking their bikes in the French Quarter, the money-making section of the island.

Young Celia led the group through the dark alleyway, past some rift-rafts, and stopping at a massive steel door at the end of one side of the wall. At the rap of her knuckles and the tap of her feet, the door slid open. Celia happily skipped inside while the others cautiously walked through.

After walking through a dark corridor, the group pushed aside a set of curtains, marveling at the forty-foot open-mouth Mardi Gras mask used for the main entrance. That mask was just the beginning of the booming arcade filled with rowdy children, ready to have fun or cause a bit of mischief.

It was quite impressive for Dr. Facilier to manage a successful business while also being the headmaster and teacher of Dragon Hall. Speaking of—

"Daddy!" Celia shouted, running to her father on the arcade floor.

Without a wasted moment, Dr. Facilier tossed his cane to a worker before twirling on his heels to lift his little girl in the air. Resting her back on the ground, the father-daughter duo broke into an intricate dance routine, also known as their usual greeting.

Growing impatient, Evie moved to break up the party, until Jay grabbed her arm to stop her. Jerking away, Evie whirled around to glare at the thief. "Don't fucking touch me," she hissed bitterly.

"Then don't fucking ruin their reunion," Jay barked just as harshly. "You don't understand how excited they are to see each other after so long."

"It's been two days!"

"That's a lifetime for a father and daughter!"

"How the fuck do you know?"

"You don't need to fucking know!"

"Guys!" Mal shouted through a whisper, so she didn't interrupt the family moment either. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but you need to save it until after we get the Audrey situation under control."

"Blame Jay!" Evie accused defensively. "He's the one that started our conflict."

"Bull shit!" Jay denied defensively. "You—"

"Lady Mal?"

Flinching at her royal title, Mal plastered a fake, polite smile, despite her internal, conflicted emotions about her friends' growing hatred toward one another. "Dr. Facilier," she greeted with a brisk nod. "I wish I could visit, but I—."

"Need the key to your father's home," Dr. Facilier finished knowingly, clutching his daughter closer to him out of instinct. "My Voodoo Girl has already informed me of the issue, and I've seen the trouble brewing on the Auradon News Network. I was about to leave, so I could deliver some . . . news."

Retrieving the skeleton key from his pocket, Dr. Facilier held it out with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure that you're ready for them to know?" he wondered cautiously. "This is sudden. You won't be judged if you want them to wait elsewhere while you retrieve the ember."

"There's no point hiding anymore," Mal insisted softly, carefully taking the key. "Audrey, the daughter of Aurora, knows and plans to tell the entire kingdom. She'll be spouting lies without knowing because she refused to let me speak my truth."

"Perhaps, this is the best way for the world to know," Dr. Facilier suggested reassuringly. "All you would have to do is correct the mistake. Although, you would receive a more . . . sympathetic reaction from your people."

"I don't care about their reaction," Mal argued, ignoring the stares burning through her. "I only care about my fiancé, and fear how he will react for not telling him sooner."

Quickly after saying their 'goodbyes' to the successful business-man, the five rushed out of the arcade—

Just in time to watch their rides get nabbed.

"Wow." Carlos shook his head in disappointment. "What a rookie mistake."

Astride the VKs' motorbikes, with keys left in the ignition, were none other than the horrible Harry Hook, Gil, and two other pirates from their crew. The Core Four knew better than to leave their bikes unattended, but after living in Auradon for so long . . . they just forgot.

"Long time no see!" Harry greeted with a mischievous smirk, his accent drowning out his words.

"You're a dead bastard, Hook!" Jay threatened, leaping over street trash to storm after him. "Get off my fucking bike!"

"Only if you can catch me, Jay!"

Revving the engine obnoxiously, Harry zoomed down the avenue while Gil sped after him, waving his arm wildly while driving away.

Gritting his teeth angrily, Jay began, "Mal—"

"Go after them!" Mal ordered forcefully. "Celia and I will get the ember, and we'll meet at the Bridge Plaza later."

With a short, brisk nod, Jay bolted down the alleyway with the others following, one a bit reluctantly. "They will take care of it," Mal reassured the fortune-teller once the trio was out of sight. "Our priority is the ember."

"We better hurry," Celia commented worriedly. "Your dad hates it when I go the cave during his nap time."

Although Celia preferred the lazier method of driving a miner's cart, the girls quickly sprinted through the underground cave. When they arrived at the home, the living-room appeared to be empty.

But not for long

"Dad!" Mal shouted to Celia's annoyance, who wanted the exchange to be quiet and quick in case it was poor timing. "Mallory! Anybody home!"

Celia swung her head toward the fairy in, her eyes bright with surprise and curiosity. " 'Mallory'?" she repeated, her nose scrunching at the name. "Who—"

"Mommy!"

Potentially giving herself whiplash, Celia veered her head toward a little girl standing at the bedroom door. This little girl could be best described as mini-Mal with her purple hair. However, the child had the strangest light blue eyes, ones that Celia swore she recognized. The dress she wore seemed familiar too . . .

Strolling forward, Mal lifted the little girl into her arms, resting the child on her hip while peppering her cheek with endless kisses. The girl giggled affectionately. "Mommy!" she whined giddily. "That's too many!"

"I'm just making up for all this kisses I couldn't give you before." Mal smiled softly at the girl, leaning their foreheads together. "I'm sorry, my love, but I can't take you home with me just yet. It isn't safe. Can you wait just a little bit longer?"

Only after the child nodded did Mal turn to face Celia, their similarities too much to be coincidence. "Celia," Mal greeted while clutching the little girl closer to her, who happily held future-queen tighter. "This is my daughter, Mallory."

"What?" Celia's jaw dropped at the shocking and unbelievable revelation. "How? When were you ever pregnant?"

"When she was fourteen," replied a voice from the bedroom, "during the time everyone believed she deathly ill. In actuality, the illness was an excuse to hide her pregnancy, until she had Mallory at fifteen."

Leaning against the door frame, Hades had his arms crossed over his chest, gazing at the girls knowingly. "Only a select few know about Lory," he informed an even more incredible shocked Celia, before turning to his daughter expectantly. "I assume you still haven't told Ben?"

"I've tried the past couple days, but I keep getting interrupted," Mal insisted before her father could lose his temper. "Audrey, the daughter of Aurora, stole the scepter, the queen's crown, and my locket. She knows about Mallory, but not how she came to be. I need your ember to over-power the scepter before she wreaks havoc on the people of Auradon."

Hades raised an inquisitive brow. "What about Mallory?" he interrogated. "When will she go to Auradon?"

"Tomorrow," Mal vowed affirmatively. "Ben plans to remove the barrier as a gift to me during our engagement party. That is when my daughter will come home to me."

Somewhat satisfied, Hades dug in his pocket for only a moment before tossing the ember. Mal caught the magic item with her free hand with her daughter still firm in her arms.

"Don't let the ember get wet," Hades warned sternly. "Or else it will be useless. Remember, as my daughter, you're only half Hades, so it won't work for you like it would for me."

"As long as it works well enough to stop Audrey, I'll manage."

Mustering a brave smile for her daughter, Mal cooed, "I love you so much, Lory. I promise, we will be together again soon."

Pacing his office while on his cell phone, Ben called the shots to provide safety to the kingdom. "I want gas masks given to all citizens." Pausing to hear the response, he shouted, "Not everyone is asleep!"

Hanging up the phone, the king averted his attention to the awaiting royal attendant. "Find out if anyone has seen Audrey," Ben ordered a bit forcefully, "and what the hell that bitch wants!"

Flinching at his majesty's vulgar language, the man bowed respectfully before scurrying away.

With the office door closed, Ben hoped he could relax for a moment. That moment faded quickly when his phone rang once more. Sensing someone approaching, Ben answered the call, texted the caller, changed the call to 'speaker' mode, and placed the phone in his pocket as an unnatural breeze flew through the room.

"Here you are, Benny-boo!"

Clenching his teeth at the name he always despised, Ben whirled around to face an evil enchantress who grinned like a wicked, senile villain. "Audrey," he greeted calmly despite his inner temper rising. "So, you really stole the scepter and crown. Did my engagement piss you off so much that you decided to do something stupid about it?"

Ignoring the insults, Audrey smiled viciously. "They aren't the only things I've stolen today!"

Furrowing his brows at the odd statement, the king couldn't help his look of worry or the way the color drained from his face as a familiar gold, heart-shaped locket swayed on its chain in the . . . villain's grasp.

"Mal's precious locket," Audrey confirmed, her smile growing wider in anticipation. "Haven't you ever wondered why she's so protective of it? Or about the pictures hidden inside?"

"I know what they are," Ben insisted forcefully, balling his fist to keep his temper under control. "They're pictures of my queen and princess."

Audrey raised an amused, yet cautious brow at the phrase she's never heard before. " 'Princess'?" she repeated incredulously. "Who—"

"Mallory," Ben clarified impatiently, "my daughter."

The wicked princess's jaw dropped at the explanation. "'Your' daughter?" Audrey shook her head stubbornly. "But that's not possible! Mal had her while she was on the Isle. You didn't know her and definitely wasn't with her then!"

"It doesn't matter," Ben argued firmly. "Lory may not have my blood, but she is my daughter. That bastard that hurt Mal is nothing to my princess and queen. I'll be damned if I'll ever let him near them. No one will stop me from killing him if or when I next see him."

Fuming at her scheme not working out as planned, Audrey spat, "Well, it doesn't matter! Once I'm done with you and Mal, I'll go find that bast—"

"Don't insult my princess," Ben warned, a snarl just waiting to emerge. "Don't threaten my little girl unless you want to see my Beast!"

Eyes gleaming maliciously, a maniacal thought came to mind as Audrey's grin returned to full force. "What a wonderful idea!" she cheered happily. "You deserve more than endless slumber!"

Before the king could prepare himself for what may come next, a green light emerged from the scepter before striking him in the chest. Ben collapsed with an abnormal growl.

Peering over the desk, Audrey cackled at the results. That worked better than she expected!

Twirling on her heels, the evil enchantress stepped out onto the balcony, gazing out at the entire kingdom. "Sleeping is too good for Auradon!"

With a simple wave of the scepter, a menacing fog blanketed the land, casting a curse and condemning all the people below—

Except for the caller, who remained safe . . .

In Agrabah.