[4] Phoenix | Descendants 3

NINETEEN: The Truth's Out

The eight VKs stood in the forest outside of Fairy Cottage. They were able to free Chad but couldn't find Audrey, so their mission was a bust. Now, they had to figure out their next move.

Hector let out a laugh, watching at the direction that Chad ran off in. There was no way they were going to catch up with him, so there was no reason to even try. "I think Chad will make it all the way back to Cinderellasburg at this point."

"But Audrey wasn't there," said Evie with a disappointed sigh. "Maleficent probably has her as some form of revenge, ode-to-the-past thing."

"But we're going to get Audrey back and stop Maleficent," Ben said reassuringly, but the others didn't share his confidence. And it was obvious by the way they all fell silent at his words.

Mal placed a hand on the king's arm, "Ben-"

"No," he stated firmly, refusing to let his fiancée stop him. "No, come on. We're not just going to sit back here and watch as both Auradon and Olmypus get destroyed."

"I think we need a minute, Ben, before we decide to do anything," suggested Carlos.

"Decide? There's not a decision to be made here," the king refuted strongly, not understanding why they were all standing here debating this. Of course, they were going to stop the villains. The so-called Mistress of All Evil was out to destroy both Auradon and Olympus with the other villains, and obviously they couldn't just stand back and let them get away with it.

"I mean, of course not," Hector chuckled nervously, "or else it'll be the end of everything as we know it, especially if Olympus falls."

"But we remember the prophecy, right?" suggested Celia hopefully. "It said that we would stop the threat against Auradon and Olympus if we work together."

"Not quite," replied Carlos. "The prophecy told us that we had a chance at stopping this thing if we're together, not that we would. The future isn't set in stone. Either we save the world ... or it falls."

"... And because of our parents," muttered Evie.

A silence fell over the group. The pressure on their shoulders was immense, the future of Auradon and Olympus on their shoulders. And worst yet, it was because of their parents. All the VKs knew that the villains were horrible parents, evident by the trauma and abuse they carried with them.  All the VKs standing there remembered what their parents put them through when they were younger. And the VKs could remember how happy they were to be free of them.

The last thing they wanted was to ever see their parents and have them back in their lives again. And worse yet, they would no longer be on the Isle of the Lost. Maleficent was back in the world with her magic and Jafar, the Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil and Ursula were soon to follow. They were scared of them before when they were on the island, it would be nothing compared to the fear they felt with their parents free. And now, in order to save Auradon and Olympus, they would have to confront their parents, the very people that scarred broken them. And my god, it terrified them to the core.

"God, now I wish we listened to Adam that day," muttered Mal, the guilt and regret slowly building inside her.

"What did you just say, M?" asked Jay, not having heard what the dark fairy had said.

"I have to tell you guys something," Mal begins but hesitates to continue, the group stopping to let the daughter of Maleficent confess. She turned around to face everyone, "Um ... after Audrey stole the Queen's crown and the Dragon's Eye, Adam had the idea to close the barrier for good."

Uma scoffed, "Surprise, surprise."

"But Adam's no longer king, so he can't make that stupid idea of his into a reality," pointed out Carlos.