"A YEAR?" Everyone yells except Maira and Hades. Brit winces. 

"Yes. Maybe more, depending on where Ares went." She brushes a tear from her cheek before it can fall.

"But---there's a way to wake them up, isn't there?" I ask desperately. "There's got to be something."

Brit starts shaking her head before I'm even done talking. "We---"

"CARLOS!" someone yells, then a ball of fur flings it's way into Carlos' arms. Carlos catches Dude in surprise and then laughs at Dude's desperate attempts to lick every inch of exposed skin.

"Hey, Dude!" Carlos says. "Where were you?"

"Where were you?" Dude demands, hopping back down. "I was runnin' around Auradon, being annoying to all those ruffians, and I couldn't find you guys anywhere! All I could find was the seafood girl!"

Brit's mouth twitches. "I love this dog."

Hades looks at Dude with interest. "Why does he talk?"

"Oh, because---" Evie starts, but Carlos' eyes widen behind Hades and he waves his hands in alarm. 

"Um, because..." Evie trails off. 

"Because I ate the truth gummy that Carlos wanted to use to ask Ellie out!" Dude says proudly.

Everyone stares at him, except Carlos, who groans and puts his face in his hands. 

"When was this?" Hades asks. Suddenly my mother appears in a flurry of snowflakes and brushes her hair aside. 

"Am I too late? I only just heard about---" she goes dead silent, her eyes bulging from her head when she sees Hades. "Hade?" she squeaks. 

My dad flushes blue. Weird. "Elsa. Erm. Hello?"

Everyone starts to back away as silently as possible. But I want to see my mom's reaction when she realize I had to get two strangers to tell me who my father was. 

She sees me and her eyes pop out more. "Ellie!"

"Hi."

"Uh, I'm gonna..." Carlos tears down the lawn away from me and my parents. Traitor. 

"So..." Hades runs a hand through his hair. "I didn't expect this... to happen now."

Mom glances at him, some of the pop-eye fading. "How'd you get here?"

"Lissa found me when she went to Scotland to get Merida. She already knew then."

"Mahina and Kalia told me." I break in, crossing my arms over my chest, not bothering to soften my anger at her. She winces and laces her pale fingers together. 

"Ellie, I..."

"No excuses. Why would you not tell me who my father was?" I demand. "You said he was dead!"

Hades coughs. "Can't really deny that one, since I'm the god of, you know..."

"Yes, but you're not dead, are you?" I snap. 

His gaze turns skyward for a moment. "Point taken."

"See?"

"Elsa, I do believe she gets this snappish tone from you."

My mom's eyebrows jump up and she puts a hand on her hip. "Excuse me? Who's the one who spends all his free time conversing with dead people?"

"Says the girl who grew up alone in her room wearing gloves."

"I had an excuse!"

"So do I."

"Yours is a job. Mine is a curse!"

"You call snowy powers a curse? You know how rare those are?"

"Rarer than you, at least."

"I'm the only me!"

"Not according to the dozens of different myths."

"Excuse me!" I wave my arms to interrupt their fight. "Fight later, explain now?"

"Sorry." They mutter in unison. I roll my eyes. If they keep this up, Evie'll have a new ship.

I shudder. I can't believe I just though that.

"Mom, why would you tell me my father was dead?" I ask.

"Because I didn't want word to spread. I was able to get Fairy Godmother to enchant everyone's memories of me and your father to... die down, of sorts. They're not gone, if they see Hades they'll come back instantly. But I didn't want people to bully you."

"Too late for that." I mutter. 

"She does have a point, Liss. If people remembered I was your dad they'd've basically banished you socially."

"Again, a little late for that." I say. "I was hated because of my refusal to give up my powers. So much that some people actually went as far to steal FG's wand and try to magic my powers away forcefully."

My mom's eyes bug again and a vein pops out on my dad's forehead. "Eh?!" Hades growls. 

"I should not have told you that." I mutter. 

"Nah. You did good." Dude says at my feet, not-so-quietly. "Now we get to watch 'em beat up Chad and his goon Ned!"

My dad starts cracking his knuckles. "Chad... Charming's son?"

"Yep!" Dude chirps. 

"Be back." Dad stalks off, his hands blazing with blue fire. Mom just crosses her arms over the outfit I now notice is covered in a layer of ice that looks almost like armor.

"Mom, what are you wearing?" I almost laugh. She gives me something close to a glare. 

"Well, I expected to come to a fight, didn't I?"

"No, I mean, how'd you get it covered in ice like that?"

She flushes red. "I made this before I hit you. All my clothes are still intact, I just don't use them often."

I grin. "It looks nice."

She flushes pink, this time happily. "Oh! Thank you."

"LISS! Is this him?" My dad comes back into view, dragging a squealing Chad by his ear. My grin grows. 

"Yep."

Dad shakes Chad. "Apologize."

Chad's eyes dart back and forth. "Why is---ow!---He here? Ellie, help me!"

I snort. "Not on my life."

"APOLOGIZE!"

"Fine! I'm sorry! I have no idea what I did wrong, but I'm sorry!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW??" My dad roars. "YOU TRIED TO FORCE MY DAUGHTER'S POWERS AWAY!!!"

"Your daughter??"

"Oh, come on. Tell me you're not surprised." I say, squatting down in front of him while my dad keeps a grip on his ear. 

"YOU TRIED TO TAKE HER POWERS!" Dad bellows so loud even my ears ring. "SAY SORRY!"

"Ok, I'm sorry!" Chad squeals. "I won't do it again."

"No duh, my powers aren't connected to FG's wand anymore." I say. "You can let him go now, Dad."

Dad grunts and lets CHad go, who scrambles up and tears away from my father. "Where's the other boy this dog mentioned?" Dad asks. 

"NEDWIN!" Dude yells. "He's the guy in the stupid green sweater over there."

"Dude! That's rude! It's hideous, not stupid. Stupid doesn't gather the ugly enough." I chide.

Dad stomps off towards Ned, who sees him coming and lets out a high-pitched scream and starts running. Dad starts jogging leisurely after him.

I turn to Mom. "Was he always like that?"

She sighs. "If by that you mean overprotective, quick-tempered, and yet surprisingly sweet, then yes."

________________________________________

Ways To Be Wicked mistake that made it into the video: 

In the Ways OFFICIAL video, not the movie version, starting at 2:22, when Evie says "show her, pass every test" and it shows Mal next to Evie. WATCH MAL. She scratches her cheek, not at all in character! Ha!

Also, below are two links that show Mal, Carlos, Evie, Jay, Uma, Gil, and Harry's new outfits. The first one has Uma's live thing and a glimpse of Harry and Gil with her. The second link is kinda long, but somewhere in the middle-ish has a picture of Mal and the gang in the new looks. Mal's new hair is AWESOME.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! 

PS who else has seen the trailer for How To Train Your Dragon 3? Eh? SO GOOD LOOKING!