(3) The Isle of the Lost

-Chapter 12: Betrayal-

"All right. Let's get this Audrey chick taken care of already." Uma says, making Mal laugh. "What do you say girls? Time to wrap things up?" Uma asks, fist bumping Mal. I grin, leaning my head on Evie's shoulder as we walk.

Ben approaches Mal and hugs her side. "You know, someday, you're gonna have to tell me how you guys all got teamed up." He says, smiling. I laugh, feeling Evie leave my side. "Actually, Mal and Y/N have this plan to let all the kids off the Isle once this is over." Evie says, smiling. "Yeah, or at least we have the VK program till then." I add. Ben's face sobers immediately as he shifts his gaze to my sister. "Mal?" He asks, confused. I have a bad feeling about the way his tone shifted and I see Mal's expression turn into a frown.

"I have to tell you guys something..." She says, turning around. Her gaze flicks over each of us before lingering on mine. She takes a deep breath and looks to the ground. "Um..." She says before looking back up. "I lied to you." She says. Lied to us? "The kids won't be coming off the Isle." Mal adds before looking at me. "At all." She adds. I furrow my eyebrows, tilting my head. "What...what do you mean, Mal?" I ask.

"The program is shut down...." She starts. I let out a breath, crossing my arms. When was this decided? Why didn't they tell me? "And the barrier....will be closed for good." She finishes. Harry scoffs, turning around. "For Auradon's safety." Ben adds. I look at him, before looking at Mal. "Hold up...so we're saving your precious people and your behinds for a lie?" Uma asks, looking at Mal, Ben and I. "I knew it was a mistake to trust you..." She adds. "No, I didn't know about this." I say, making Uma look at me. "Why didn't I know about this?" I ask, looking at Mal and Ben.

Mal looks like she's about to cry when Uma chuckles bitterly. "So you lied to your own sister." She says to Mal. "Of course. You're always out for yourself." She says before Harry steps forward. "And you, King Benny..." He starts, aggressively walking to the king. Once he does, he stops, dropping his head and arm. "You're probably just gonna throw us all back inside." He says, quietly. Celia steps forward now, tears in her eyes. "You know what? I actually thought you were brave....you're nothing but a chicken." She says, pushing Mal lightly. "Too scared to tell me I was never gonna see my dad again!" She cries.

"Celia..." Mal starts before the girl turns to me and snatches the ember from my hand. "Celia.." I warn. She turns with it, walking where a small bit of water is before tossing it inside. "Celia!" Evie shouts. "No!" Mal shouts, rushing to it as Celia walks away. "Regain your might and ignite!" She shouts, trying to spell it back. She tries again before turning to Uma and I. Uma's shell doesn't glow and she shrugs. "Bummer." She says. I just look away, not wanting to look at Mal's broken hearted face.

"Let's go find Gil and leave them all to rot." Uma says, walking away with Harry on her heels. "No... Uma!" Mal shouts after the girl. I look over at Evie who has her arms crossed and is glaring at the floor. "She said they were thinking about it. Not that it was confirmed" She mutters to me. "I told her to tell you..." She adds. I nod, taking her hand in mine before I see Mal turn around again. Evie squeezes my hand and lets it go, stepping forward.

"Evie...I'm so sorry." Mal starts, watching Evie step towards her. "I-I'm sorry, I just...I thought that...I was afraid to tell you." She says. "I thought I was gonna lose my best friend." She adds. Evie doesn't speak, just watches as Mal fumbles for a response. "But I had to do something. I had to protect Auradon." She says. "Closing the barrier was your idea?" Evie asks, now realising what Mal had just said. SHE had to do something. SHE had to protect Auradon...It was her idea.

"I-I did it for us! I did it for our life that we have here now!" Mal argues. "For our life?" Evie asks. "What about the kids that we left behind on that island? The kids we promised?" She asks. "We were their only hope..." She adds.

"I thought you were gonna stand up for the VKs....but instead, you lied to them." She says before turning to look at us. "And you lied to Jay." She says before pointing to Carlos. "And you lied to Carlos..." She looks at me, furrowing her eyebrows. "You lied to Y/N....and you lied to me." She says before chuckling bitterly. "We're your family!" She says before turning to me. "Some of us, literally!" She adds. Mal looks at me now, more tears forming. "Evie..." She starts as Evie crosses her arms. "I told you to tell Y/N....but you knew she wouldn't have agreed." The princess starts before turning around. "So you left her in the dark." She finishes, walking beside me and taking one of my hands.

I look up to see Mal looking at me already. "Y/N...Please." She says. I step forward, dropping Evie's hand. "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask. "Why didn't I know?" I continue. Mal stays silent, making me scoff. "I'm your sister, Mal. We're supposed to be in it together. We've always been in it together." I say. I feel tears well in my eyes as I think about it. Mal, my sister, who I've protected since childhood. She said she'd tell me about anything she knows, she joined us in making sure the VKs could come over. Why did she do that?

"Y/N, I didn't know how to tell you!" She says. "Just tell me! We are supposed to be making these decisions together! The kids on the Isle, they're MY people, and they were yours too." I say. "Did all those years on the Isle mean nothing to you? Do you not remember the way we lived? You're wishing that on every kid on that island by making that decision. And worst of all, you didn't even inform me of it." I say. "We're your family. But you chose to lie to us." I say. "Y/N..."

"I can't believe you. You're not the Mal I grew up with." I say, starting to turn around. "Y/N, please! I had no choice!" She shouts before a bright flash of light is seen, making me wince. I see Mal's face, shock in horror as she stares at something behind me. I turn and smoke is seen once I open my eyes, and instead of my friends, all I see is stone. "No..." I hear Mal say. Tears form in my eyes as I see Evie's statue form, reaching out to me. She was going to comfort me, to reach for me. I feel my heart break as I see the love of my life now lifeless. "Evie...no..." I say, reaching out and putting my hand over hers.

Her once warm skin is now cold, rough. It's stone. Her bright blue hair, pale skin, red lips, all now a dull grey. Unmoving, expressionless. Life is missing from her once full of life eyes."Please, no, no, no." I say, touching her face now. It's like touching a statue. Cold, dark, lifeless. She's not here anymore, and it's my fault.... No... it's Mal's fault. I turn to see Mal crying, stepping towards me. "Y/N." She says, reaching out. I recoil back, stepping away from her. "No, stay away." I say, stepping back. "Look what happened? Was this part of your plan?" I ask, pointing to our friends, our family. "Did you accomplish anything by making that decision?"

"No- I" "Closing the barrier did nothing. All it did....was ruin our family." I say, gesturing to the statues that used to be our friends. "I don't know who you are anymore." I say before shaking my head. "But you're not my sister." I say, making Mal cry. "You've lost Uma, Harry and Celia. You just lost Ben, Jay, Carlos and Evie" I start before walking up to her. "Now you're losing me too." I finish before walking away, into the forest.

I don't care what she says now. I just want to get rid of Audrey, break the spell and get Evie and the others back. Maybe Mal can fix this afterwards...but with everyone gone, we're losing hope. Losing our chance. I hear a cackle from what is clearly Audrey's voice from the direction of the school. I follow the voice and make my way into a clearing. "Where is Audrey..." I mutter, looking around.

"Here." I hear a voice from behind me before a hit on my head.

Everything goes black.

Word Count: 1495