[✔︎] 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 ✫ DESCENDANTS THREE ⁸

NINETEEN

[GIGI]

"She's slipping away." Evie said as she and Gigi leaned over Audrey, who was in a deep sleep. Gigi looked around the room, seeing how things had changed for the better. They had all banded together in the end. But that wasn't the point right now. They had to figure this out before time ran out. They had thought it would wear off and Audrey would wake up. But as the minutes ticked by it seemed as though hope was being lost.

"There's only one person in the whole world who might be able to do something about this." Mal said with a sigh, looking down at a sleeping Audrey. "And that's Hades."

"Hades?" Ben asked. "He wouldn't do it."

Helia smiled a knowing smile but said nothing, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Actually, he might do it for me." Mal said, looking at Ben. "He's my father." A silence took ahold of the room, as each of them looked at Mal in shock, except for Helia, Helios, Evie and Gigi.

"Well, I'll have to send guards to get him." Ben said, hurriedly, thinking out loud.

"Maybe I can hitch a ride." Uma offered, as Ben frowned, looking at as if he were about to object. "The Isle is my home. Somebody needs to be there to protect it."

"Well then," Harry said, standing up from where he sat with Sam. "You'll need your first mate."

"And me." Sam said,

"The Isle will be in very good hands." Mal nodded.

"Can I go, too?" Celia asked. "I wish I could be in both places."

Mal stood up, regret clear on her face. "I really think that Evie was right." She said. "And... I do think we could've been friends, Uma. And I'm really sorry that I lied to all of you guys."

"You guys were just trying to do the right thing." Jay said.

"Yeah." Uma nodded. Mal then turned to Evie. "I get it." She stated, and Mal beamed at her. They hid them farewell as they waited for the arrival of Hades.

After a few hours, there was a knock on the door. Beast got up and opened the door, as Hades walked in, shackled by his wrists and ankles.

"Thank you for coming." Mal said, walking toward him with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Didn't have much choice." Hades shrugged.

"Can you wake her?" Ben asked, looking at Hades hopefully. He tilted his head to the side.

"Since when do heroes care about villains?"  Hades asked with a raised brow.

"She's-." Ben began

"One of your own," Hades said, waiting for a response. When he didn't get one he continued. "Right." He turned toward Mal. "When you guys try to destroy the world... it's an error in judgment. But when it's one of us... lock them up and throw away the key." He looked at Beast. "Right, Beast?" 

Hades raised his hands, everyone jumped and the guards held him to stop him from moving. He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I'm gonna need to use my hands." 

Mal glanced at Ben, who nodded at the guards. The guards then undid the chains on Hades, and he stepped forward before holding his hand out to Mal. Mal's face remained slack of emotion.

She looked into his eyes before sighing and handing him the ember. Hades clasped his hand around it, closing his eyes as he felt the power radiating through his veins.

His hair burst into flames as he clutched them ember in his hand, nodding his head.

"Haven't lost my touch." He said to himself with a laugh.  He stepped up to Beast, who blocked his path. Hades growled, his hair crackling with fire as Beast returned it with his own. The two stood for to toe, trying to see who would back down first.

"Dad," Helia said to him as he stepped back with a laugh.

Hades shrugged, then walked toward the sleeping Audrey. He took a deep breath again and began waving his arms over Audrey, the whole room glowed a dark blue.

Hades stopped, resting his arms at his sides. Audrey gasped and sat up abruptly, the lighting returned to normal, and Gigi let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Audrey!" Queen Leah said as they all stood up, rushing to Audrey's side. "You're okay!" 

Hades smiled, tossing the ember up and down in his hands. Audrey looked up at them pleadingly.

"Tell me it was all a bad dream."  Audrey asked, knowing the answer.

"I wish I could," Ben said, pausing. "But... it's over now." 

Hades scoffed and Audrey sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at them regretfully.

"I'm sorry." She said to Mal. "I wanted to hurt you." Audrey then looked at the rest of them. "I wanted to hurt all of you."

Mal stepped forward, taking Audrey's hand in hers. "I have owed you an apology for... a very long time now." 

"And so have I." Ben said, stepping forward. 

"And perhaps." Queen Leah said to Mal, "I have owed you two one, too."  Mal curtsied to her, and she smiled. The past was now forgiven, it was time to forget.

The guards came over to Hades in order to take him back to the isle. 

"Oh, yeah." Hades said, with a roll of his eyes.  The guards took hold of his shoulders, walking out the door. Helia, Helios and Mal shared looks before bolting after him, nodding him farewell.

Gigi smiled at Mal when she returned, taking her hands in her own.

"You did great." Gigi said as Mal smiled.

"Thank you for forgiving me." Mal said. "I didn't mean to. I just thought I was doing the right thing. But it was selfish. It wouldn't have helped anyone."

"I'm glad you know that now." Helia said. "And I'm happy to call you my sister."

Mal beamed at her, hugging her tightly.

"You're the best sister I never knew I had." Helia said with a sigh.

"I'm your only sister." Mal said with a laugh.