Stealing the Black Cauldron///A Descendants Applyfic///CLOSED

Chapter Twenty: The Witches

The rest of the cottage had collapsed in on itself after the Cauldron settled down.

Hannah didn't mind the destruction of the home she grew up in. It was never really hers anyway.

CJ looked at her as soon as he heard her footsteps, rushing for her. He grabbed onto her and pulled her into a hug, his face now buried into her shoulder. Hannah let herself slump against him, flinging her remaining arm over his shoulder. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"You're missing an arm." CJ whispered to her.

"Yea..." Hannah mumbled, nodding. "I'm tired..." She added. So CJ just let her lean against him and rest, his wings slowly wrapped her around her. Like some sort of shield to protect her - protect both of them - from everything that happened.

The two of them stood there, idly. No one really knew what to do, so Hannah and CJ decided the best idea was to just... hold each other.

Embry shifted closer to the rubble of the house. Their legs felt weak and they felt sick to their stomach. It felt like shards of glass were in their chest, like rocks were in their throat.

After a lifetime of loneliness, they'd finally found friends. And now the first person to think that maybe- just maybe, they weren't crazy was...

Gone.

"Hey..." Sahira's voice was quieter as she got Embry's attention. She'd learned that it kept Embry calm, even in rather stressful situations. Embry's eyes went up to her, dull and watery. "Yea... It's alright..." She attempted to comfort them, hesitantly reaching over and grasping their hands. Embry squeezed them tightly, nodding faintly and looking back at the mess.

A glimpse of red caught Embry's eye, making them pull away and walk off into the broken walls and ceilings. They stepped into the rubble as Sahira trailed behind, watching what they were doing. Embry reached down and slowly picked up the red.

Gracie's flower hair clip.

"What now?" Ray suddenly asked, grabbing everyone's attention. It was a good question. What was anyone supposed to do in this kind of a mess? Ray looked at the rubble, spotting the darkness of the Cauldron poking through.

"No one should have this thing." Twyla shook her head. "Not us, not Auradon, not the Isle..." She decided. It was too much power for people like them to handle.

Not just that. It was too hungry. Too bloodthirsty, almost like it was alive. Alive and needing to be fed constantly. And nothing could satisfy it.

At least... nothing they could give. Sooner or later, it would all happen again. Maybe it wouldn't be the Horned King. Or another demon. Maybe just a power-hungry monster, or an idiot who thought they could control it. And that couldn't happen again.

"We can't just leave it at Auradon again. It's too risky." Hannah said, heavily leaning on CJ for support.

Ray nodded in agreement, his eyes colder now. A bit more calculating and detached. "So now what? What can we do about it?" He asked.

"How about its home?" Embry asked, looking back to the others. They were still clutching the hairclip tightly. "Where it came from. Send the Jabberwock back to the looking glass." They continued, gesturing vaguely to the side.

Sahira let out a cynical scoff. "And where's that? Where did this thing even come from?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at the Cauldron in the rubble.

"Hell." Hannah said plainly. No one could tell if she was joking or serious. Both were very probable. "But... I think the King mentioned..." She trailed off. "The witches!"