When Mal and Celia finally arrived at the Isle's Bridge Plaza, the trio waited for them with no bikes. Luckily, they had a backup plan to return home. Using the sacred remote that was 'forgotten' to be returned, the impenetrable barrier flickered open just large enough for the group to walk through. Since they accomplished their main objective, they could stop Audrey without any delays.

But of course, the universe just loved to prove them wrong.

As the barrier closed again, two mischievous pirates jumped through at the last second. Miraculously, they emerged without a single scratch. Lucky bastards . . .

"We made it!" Gil exclaimed, eyes wide and filled with amazement.

Harry, grinning like a madman, soaked up the jaw-dropped looks on the five's faces. "Hey, guys." He bowed mockingly. "We just came for . . . a little visit."

"Hell, no!" Jay stalked forward menacingly. "After what you did, you'll be lucky to live after I'm through with you!"

Sensing the hostility, Carlos stepped between them to prevent an oncoming fight. As a result, he was unwilling shoved into Mal. The unexpected motion caused the ember to jostle free from her grip, sailing in the air out of reach. The Core Four could only watch helplessly as it plummeted toward the deep, dark water below.

And yet . . . a dreaded splash never came.

Instead, a long, turquoise tentacle emerged from the ocean. It stretched to an impressive length, snatching the ember from the air. With a whoosh, Uma, in her octopus form, rose from the rough waters, gripping the powerful ember.

"Drop something?" Uma teased as the ember sizzled in her grasp.

"It can't get wet!" Mal warned desperately. "Please! Give it back before it goes out! I'll give you anything you want!"

Wrapping her tentacle tightly around the ember, Uma sunk below the sea's surface. A whirling burst of water gushed upward the next moment from the ocean's roiling surface. With a mighty explosion, the water rained on those standing on the bridge.

"Anything?" a voice repeated uncertainly. "Are you sure that's a promise you can keep?"

Standing at the edge of the broken bridge, Uma—now human—had her arms crossed with the ember still tight in her grip. From her posture, they could tell she wasn't in the mood to fuck around with anyone.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Mal firmly assured. "Yes, I will give you anything you want. If I can't, then Ben—"

"Your king's assistance won't be necessary," Uma interrupted harshly, her lips curling into a snarl. "I want answers from you. My grandfather refused to say anything no matter how many times I asked, so I'll ask you: what was the assault?"

"That is none of your business," Jay declared defensively. "Mal doesn't have to tell you anything just because you demand it."

Glaring at the Isle thief, the sea witch thrust her arm over the side, holding the ember above the water with two fingers. "How about now!" Uma shouted aggressively. "Either she talks, or I throw this overboard. The ember can't help you at the bottom of the sea!"

"Enough games, Uma!" Evie pleaded half-heartedly, though inwardly wondering the same thing. "Mal hasn't told me either, yet I'm her best friend."

"The fuck you are!" Jay argued defensively, whirling to face the blue-haired woman. "You don't know a damn thing about Mal!"

Evie rolled her eyes with an annoyed groan. "Just because you know Mal longer doesn't mean you know her better!"

"Yes, it does in this case!"

"Then fucking prove it!"

"I don't have to prove shit to you!"

"So, you are a liar like I thought! That means you—"

"For the love of—" Mal sighed exasperatedly at the situation. "I was raped, alright!"

Silence . . .

The only sound that could be heard was the crashing waves against the bank while the group processed the unexpected revelation. From their expressions, Mal could tell there were mixed emotions about the announcement. Amongst them all, one glared at her, silently warning her not to say more—

Which made Mal want to defy him even more.

"It happened five years ago when I was fourteen," Mal reminisced, disgust evident in her tone and the gazes of those who didn't know, listening with horror. "An older boy forced me to drink until I couldn't fight back. Although I was completely shit-faced, I remember asking him to take me away from the party, but he took advantage of me in his bedroom instead. I was too intoxicated to fight back or escape, but he didn't care. All he wanted was an easy lay."

"What . . . ?" Uma's bottom lip quivered at the sickening tale. The ember sensed the young woman's ailing emotions as it began to glow when she clutched it to her chest. "Where the hell was I? Why didn't I save you!"

Mal paused, thinking back to that night. "You were working at your mother's restaurant," the fairy vaguely recalled. "Although people were surprised to see me, no one suspected anything when I was gone. They knew about my hatred for parties and assumed I left on my own accord."

Fuming at the truth, Evie whirled toward Jay again with a vicious glare. "You knew this entire time," she accused. "You should've to—"

"Evie!" Carlos scolded, making everyone flinch at his unexpected rudeness. "That's enough! Mal's trauma isn't something Jay needed to talk about whenever or to whomever he wanted. If I'm thinking right, Mal was sick for months afterward because it affected her so much. You can't be mad at Jay for wanting to help her get through it by mentioning it as little as possible and keeping others from knowing."

"Wait . . ." Mal tilted her head curiously, though her heart pounded erratically. "Carlos . . . how did you know?"

"Um . . ." Carlos tensed as all the attention diverted to himself. "I overheard a few conversations between you and Jay during our first few weeks in Auradon and then the Cotillion. I kept quiet because I knew you would tell me when you were ready."

Wiping away a stray tear that fell against her will, Uma apologized. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you then, but I can help you now." Offering the ember, she waited until the fairy cautiously took the ember before vowing, "My crew and I will help you save Auradon. It's the least we can do for you."

"Seriously?" Harry groaned at the notion. "Are we really going to waste our time saving people when we could be ravaging the kingdom?"

With her hand on her hip, Uma arched a curious brow. "Do you have something better to do?"

Eyes flickering to those that glared at him with obvious hatred, Harry quickly looked away, grumbling, "I suppose not."

"Good." Uma forced a smile at her cousin, despite her inner rage. "This is your turf. Lead the way."

The motley crew of villain kids trekked over the bridge, which led them toward the back entrance of Auradon Prep. During the trip, two people stayed in the back of the pack; one because she was still miffed about being out of the loop and the other to avoid suspicion. About midway through the travel, the two began whispering to each other, which turned into flirting from one and giggling from the other—

Worrying Mal about the trap that will snap at a moment's notice.

After finally arriving on campus, the temporarily allied group was greeted with a lawn littered with sleeping students. Luckier students slept at tables or seating areas while other unfortunate classmates slept soundly in the yard. At the sight of the cursed citizens, the Core Four tried calling someone who could tell them what happened.

Or . . . at least, some of them were trying.

After failing to reach her beloved, Mal sighed in frustration. "I can't get Ben," she complained while trying again. "I get a busy signal every time."

"Jane's went straight to voicemail," Carlos informed. "Maybe Audrey disputed the signal so we coul—"

"Albi!" Jay greeted graciously, his call miraculously going through. "Hey! Where are you?"

"Right now?" questioned a nearby voice. "I'm checking out a sexy guy's ass and he's hot as hell! You think he'll let me tap that if I tell him some good news?"

Rolling his eyes at the promiscuous suggestion, Jay ended the call before shouting out in the open, "You better hope it is. Right now, I'm in no mood to do anything."

The familiar voice chuckled before emerging from a nearby tree's shadows, revealing his identity. "This will cheer you up," Aziz guaranteed as a happy, genuine smile appeared. "I found a surrogate mother."

Jay visibly brightened at the news while Mal managed a smile. "Congratulations," she cheered softly. "I'm happy for you. You're one step closer to being parents."

Aziz raised an inquisitive brow at the unusual behavior. He expected her to be happier than she was at the news. "Is something wrong?" he wondered curiously. "You sound depressed."

"I'm fine," Mal fibbed with a shrug. "Just trying to save Auradon from an evil lunatic."

"So, you're Jay's boyfriend, right?" Uma questioned in a successful attempt to change the subject. "Aziz?"

"Husband," Aziz corrected with an eager grin. "We eloped last month so we wouldn't take the attention from Mal and Ben's engagement."

"Have you been here long?" Carlos interrogated to get everyone back on track. "Do you know what happened here?"

"Audrey placed a sleeping spell on some students and turned the rest to stone," Aziz informed before explaining, "I only know because I called Ben right before Audrey appeared in his office."

Mal's eyes flashed with fear. "Did Audrey tell—"

"Not a word," Aziz promised with so much sincerity, hoping he convinced Mal it wasn't a lie. "Your secret is still safe."

"Why don't we check the school while we're here?" Gil suggested helpfully, though he really wanted to explore the place for himself. The building was massive compared to everything else on the Isle!

"Audrey has no reason to be at Auradon Prep," Carlos denied logically. "She went after Ben specifically. So maybe we need to find him to get a lead to find her."

Rolling his eyes at the inconvenience, Harry grumbled, "So how do we find the king quickly so I can leave?"

"I have a tracker on his phone," Aziz informed before showing his cell screen, displaying a map and a blue blinking dot. "I used it all the time to sneak around with Jay. I 'forgot' to take it off his phone. It shows him . . . in the middle of the woods?"

"I say we split up," Uma suggested. "A group tracks down Ben while the rest figure out where this Audrey chick bunks down."

"That's not a bad idea," Evie agreed, the first she'd spoken to anyone since crossing the bridge. "She's still living in the dorms because she finally got caught cheating."

"Summer school?" Harry scoffed at the pitiful punishment. "No wonder she wanted revenge."

Holding back an insult, Mal ordered, "Boys, you track down Ben. The girls and I will search Audrey's dorm room for clues. Let's try to meet at Evie's castle in two hours."

"Mal," Jay warned cautiously. Gazing at the others, the Isle thief pulled the future queen aside to talk privately. "Are you sure I shouldn't go with you?" he whispered. "I don't know if I can hold my tongue or my temper around that bastard."

"I would rather risk you fighting him than hear you arguing with Evie," Mal retorted. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but we all need a break from the constant jabbering. Use this as a chance to figure out what exactly Carlos knows about the incident."

"Fine," Jay grumbled. "Stay safe."

Needless to say, the trek through the woods was intense. Aziz led the front of the pack, Harry and Gil stayed in the middle, and Jay and Carlos trailed behind. While hanging in the back, the Isle Thief quietly prodded his friends about his knowledge, confirming everything that he knew, from the identity of the rapist—

To the existence of Lory.

Before more could be said about the unfortunate situation, an innocent question interrupted them.

"So, a surrogate mother?" Gil recalled curiously. "You two want a kid? What gender are you hoping for?"

"I want a girl," Jay answered immediately.

"And I want a boy," Aziz added, pausing to check his phone and the surroundings. "If we have a boy, I get to name him 'Cassim' after my grandfather."

"When we have a girl," Jay began teasingly, "I get to name her 'Nasira' after my aunt. Either way, Mal and Ben will be the godparents."

"Kids are a pain in the ass," Harry insulted with a scoff. "I'm never going to any."

"That's not what I heard," Aziz argued, facing the pirate with a scowl. "According to your chat with Ben a few months ago, you don't want kids because you're bisexual, into both men and women."

Cheeks burning deep red in rage, Harry stalked menacingly toward the Auradon thief, gripping his hook tighter while threatening, "You are dead!"

Before anyone could move, a horrifying roar boomed throughout the forest. As the group identified the noise's location, a ferocious monster emerged from his hiding spot. The behemoth narrowed his eyes, growling at his target—

Just as the phone began to beep, indicating that they found—

"No way!" Gil shouted incredulously. "Is that really King Ben?"

Beast-Ben let out a deafening roar at his name. His long, bushy tail whipped around wildly. His eyes stayed focused on Harry, following his every movement. One wrong move, and Beast-Ben would—

"Ben," Aziz warned serenely. "Don't let your Beast control you. Do you really want your queen to know you can't contain it? Do you want your princess to fear you?"

The last question seemed to calm the feral creature long enough for a stream of water to blast him in the face. In the forest clearing stood Jane, who squirted another stream of Enchanted Lake water from a water cannon, almost breaking the curse on the king.

"Jane!" Carlos exclaimed, enveloping his girlfriend in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"And Chad?" Jay snarled his nose in disgust at seeing the prince leaning against a tree, clearly out of breath. "What the hell—"

"Wait!" Jane interrupted before the prince could receive a verbal lashing. "Chad helped me escape Audrey's sleeping spell and carried me here. Speaking of, there's something he wants to tell you and Aziz." She gave a pointed look. "Right?"

After catching his breath, Chad sighed before turning toward the married couple. "I'm sorry for how I acted toward you two," he apologized sincerely. "I was a rude, horrible human being. I will never treat you like that again, and I will do everything I can to make it up to you. I hope you both can forgive me, and I will understand if you don't."

An uneasy pause lingered in the air. Sharing an unsure gaze with his beloved, Aziz looked at the birthday girl. "Is Chad serious?" he wondered. "What's his motive?"

"Chad's trying to make up for being a bad friend to me while we've been attending Auradon Prep," Jane informed. "He has to prove that he's serious about changing his way. This is him taking that first step."

Processing the information, Aziz turned to his beloved. "Albi?"

"It's your decision," Jay insisted, glancing cautiously at the prince. "You've known him longer and better than me. The choice to forgive him is up to you."

With a simple nod, Aziz turned back to Chad, who still had a determined yet apologetic gleam in his eyes. Holding his gaze, the Auradon Thief exhaled exasperatedly. "About time you stopped acting all high and mighty because of those bullies." Aziz extended his arm out for a handshake. "Don't make me regret giving you a second chance."

"You won't," Chad vowed, happily shaking the other prince's hand. "Thank you."

Once that situation was settled, a soaking-wet Ben rested against a tree trunk. The king wasn't fully free from the curse. With unruly hair, a full beard, and fangs, he still very much looked part beast. Taking in a deep breath, he rasped out, "Where are the girls?"

"They're probably at Evie's castle by now," Jay assumed. "They went to Audrey's dorm room for clues on where she could be hiding. We'll explain the rest on the way."

"Wait . . ." Carlos tilted his head curiously at his beloved. "Why did Chad carry you instead of having you walk?"

Blushing bright red, Jane cleared her throat nervously. "Ummm . . ." She trailed off, trying to think of the best way to explain without being too embarrassed. "Remember how we celebrated your birthday about a month ago?"

Like a flip of a switch, Carlos's face lit up like he received the best gift in the world. "No way!" he shouted. "You really are?"

"I took a test this morning," Jane confirmed shyly. "I really am . . . pregnant."

"Hell ya!" Carlos cheered, embracing his girlfriend while lifting her off the ground, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. "I can't wait for our baby to arrive!"

While the couple happily celebrated the news, a pair of friends casted a worried glance at a prince, who seemed to be trying to hold his tongue. "Will you be alright?" Ben wondered quietly, so the expecting couple couldn't hear.

"Yeah," Chad grumbled, though his eyes stayed captured on a certain someone. "I already lost my chances. I'll take it to the grave so I don't ruin anything more."