"It feels a little weird that we're going to have a birthday party when all of this is happening." Brit says tentatively, watching us pack for Jane's party.

"Well, suddenly-evil-dad or not, I've never missed Jane's birthday before so I don't want that to start now." I say, neatly packing food into a basket.

"I like that you're not freaking out about this, Icy." Sera says, bouncing an apple on her knee like a soccer ball. "Sure, your awesome, just-married, god-of-the-dead father is suddenly wicked again, and everybody is wondering whether or not yer' trustworthy now, and I'm sure those news reporters are digging up the ol' "she kills people" story again, but hey! Happy Birthday to Jane!"

I groan. "Don't remind me. I had to lock up my phone again to stop the temptation."

"And you still can't reach you mom?" Brit asks.

"No. My teleportation powers aren't working, and I can't get her to answer her phone. It would take days to get a ride to the North Mountain." I stuff a sandwich in rather aggressively, and Brit carefully takes the smushed remains out.

"Your powers aren't working? Did he drain them, like he did Mal's?" She asks, tossing the sandwich in the trash.

Arson sticks his tongue out and mimes smashing someone's head in, then laughs.

I shake my head, unable to help being amused. "No, my mom's powers and the fire parts are working fine. My mind's just too jumbled to get focused enough. I just gained real control over them, and when I'm panicked or worried, they just don't click." I sigh. "I wish I knew what was going on!"

Evie regards me sadly. "I'm sure your mom is fine, Ellie. I don't think your father faked anything there."

"I didn't think so either, but... the way he looked at me... it was like he had no idea who I was." I run my fingers through my hair. I wasn't in my Evie-made VK outfit when it happened. I was wearing a floaty blue dress with a silver sash. But he's seen me with my new hair, and he recognized me after sixteen years when we met in Scotland.

Jay tosses an apple to Evie as Carlos enters the room. "Good morning!" He says, as bright as ever. "Got the beach towels!" He stuffs them in a basket, then moves over to the cake. "I really think she's going to like the cake, you guys---oh, no."

"What?" Brit peeks over. "Ohh."

"Who got into Jane's cake?" Carlos demands, exasperated.

"Maybe Dude?" I suggest. We all turn to look at the canine who entered the room trotting behind Carlos.

"Why're you all staring at me?" He asks. "Do I have snoseballs again?"

"Okay, not him." Sera decides.

"Snoseballs!" Arson whoops.

"I hate to ask why that's what your mind jumps to." I tell Dude.

"What? That was cool! Well, until it almost killed me. Then you. Oh, wait, I'm not bringing back any traumatizing memories, am I?" he wags his tail, thoroughly unconcerned with that possibility.

"No, but this might be a traumatic memory for you if you keep talking." I say sweetly. Carlos laughs, but at that instant a bright flash flares in the room, and laughter rings from outside.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Has anyone seen Mal?" Evie worries. We all stay in silence for a moment, then tear outside. Celia joins us on the way, and Hector looks up from his book in confusion as we run by.

We burst through the doors, and the scene is so bizzare my head can't quite grasp it. To our right, a wizened old woman is hunched over. Mal's purse is behind her, and my heart leaps into my throat when I realize it is Mal, looking very Evil-Queen-Disguise-Ish.

To our left is an even more mind-twisting sight. Audrey is there, dressed in a darker, feathery-er, more villain-looking outfit version of her dress yesterday. Her hair is vibrant pink and blue, and the Queen's crown rests on her head comfortably. In her hands she holds something I haven't seen in years.

Maleficent's scepter.

"So long, suckers." She sneers, then twirls in a circle. Within an instant, she's gone.

Jay instantly turns to Mal, reaching for her, but yelps and flinches backward. "AH! Uh... you might wanna think of a spell for that."

"There's no spell that can reverse the curse of the scepter." Mal says slowly, her voice cracking with age.

Sera sucks her teeth. "That's unfortunate."

"You've never looked better?" Brit tries, her voice gaining an octave.

"Forget about me." Mal says, her voice flat and emotionless. "Audrey's out for revenge. And all of Auradon is in danger."

"What do we do?" Evie asks.

"The only thing more powerful than the scepter... is Hades' ember." Mal, for some reason, won't look at me. My stomach rolls with the idea of approaching my father, asking for something he told me about months ago.

"Oh, like he's just gonna hand it over after you blew him back to the Isle." Jay says.

"And no one knows where his lair is." Evie says. "Ellie?"

"Don't look at me. Two days ago, I thought my mom and dad were in the ice castle happily watching The Sound of Music over and over." I say.

"I know where it is." Celia says suddenly. "I'm his errand rat. I've got the key at my dad's."

"You're coming." Mal says, pointing a withered finger her way.

Celia pouts, stepping back. "But I just got here."

"Mal?" We all turn and see Dizzy, Anya, Hector and the twins watching us worriedly. When they meet Mal's eyes, Dizzy and Anya scream. The twins grab onto them, while Hector bounds forward.

"Wow, that's one powerful spell." He murmurs. I haven't heard him talk before, and I'm kind of surprised by how quiet he is. "I've never seen one like it."

"Dizzy, stay here to take care of Anya and the twins." Evie orders. "We'll be right back and everything will be just fine. Go inside."

She walks back to us. "Guys, go get your stuff."

"C'mon, let's go." Sera seizes my hand. "You'll want to wear your Isle gear for this."

"We're not seriously going over to the Isle of the Lost to get my dad's ember." I insist.

"Icy, you wanted answers, and looks like you're going to get 'em. M'kay? Now come on!" She drags me inside, Arson right on our heels. We run into the kitchen after changing to make sure Dizzy and Anya are taking care of the twins, but Gil is in there munching on grapes.

"Can't get over this cantaloupe." He mumbles, waving hello to us. Brit comes running in, notices her boyfriend, and seizes his hand.

"We're going to the Isle! Must save Mal! Come on!" She tugs hard, barely moving Gil an inch because of how small she is. I notice she's decked in Isle as well, purple-and-gold leather with a bell design on her back and her hair twisted up in a braided bun.

The bell design is on the back of the jacket... and as for the skirt, I just needed Brit to still feel like Brit while looking awesome. :)

"Woah, woah, woah." Sera waves her hands. "Brit, you ain't goin'."

"What?" She glares at us, despite being several inches shorter. "Of course I am!"

"Brit, when you got off, you promised me you would never go back." Sera says. "Besides, Ar's not comin', and you're the only one who can entertain him."

"I not coming?" Arson stamps his foot. "Why?"

"Because, Ar, we're going to be stealing, or asking, most likely stealing, from a very powerful god. Plus, Dad's on the isle, and I'll not risk you getting caught by him, or Uma." Sera says, taking his hands. "This isn't up for discussion. Gil, you're comin', right?"

"Sure." He says, swallowing his 'cantaloupe'. "Brit, I'm kinda with them. I don't want you going back. Uma really hates you."

"And she doesn't hate you?" Brit asks angrily.

"Um..." Gil scrunches his face up in thought. "No."

"Fine!" Brit throws her hands in the air. "Arson, you want to play tag with Anya and Dizzy?"

"TAG!" He bolts, and Brit looks slightly happier as she follows him. We go back outside, finding all our friends in their Isle leather, already on bikes. Mal and Celia are sharing a bike, Gil and Sera climb onto another, so I'm left with Carlos, Evie, or Jay.

"Evie's will have more room since she's smaller." Carlos offers.

"I'm fine." I promise, climbing on behind him. "But what I wouldn't give for Endora's magic right now."

"Dori's at Auradon Prep, trying to figure out a way to repair the barrier so it won't stay open like that, giving villains a chance to stick their little fingers where they shouldn't be." Sera explains. "Now, we leavin'?"

"Yup." We all start our bikes, heading for a familiar cliff. I almost want to smile when Mal reads off the exact same spell she did years ago, when she and I escaped to the Isle.

Almost.

We bump along the water much like we did then, but this time I'm holding onto Carlos, and I have to say he's a better motorcycle driver than Mal was.

We finally push past the barrier, and I notice that Mal's white hair becomes purple again, her wrinkled skin smoothing out. When we pull to a stop in front of a green set of bars guarding a sign that says "Fortunes Told!", Mal steps off her bike and looks at her hands in amazement. "Hey! I'm me again!" She feels her mouth, then looks at her hair.

"Duh." Celia says to her. "Evil magic doesn't work here. Kind of the point."

"Welcome back." Evie tells her, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks!" Mal laughs.

We all dismount, making our way inside the arcade. Gil laughs as we enter. "Been a while since I was here." He says, looking around.

"I don't even remember the last time I was here." Carlos says. Celia stops in front of a door and starts rhythmically tapping her feet and pounding on the door. After she finishes, the door creaks open and she turns to us with a proud grin on her face.

"Nice." I comment, and she beams, beckoning us inside. We follow along, coming out in what looks like an arcade of sorts. I notice a gleaming sign above us that confirms my suspicions: "Dr. Facilier's Voodoo Arcade".

Celia bounds down the steps, running for her father. The instant he notices her, he brightens. They do a dance together, ending with her flicking his hat and running off.

"That's a thing with them." Sera explains, stepping off the entrance's stairs. We all kind of mingle around while Celia talks to her dad, but Carlos takes my hand.

"Want to see something?" He asks.

"Sure. What is it?"

He leads me over to a stone-age television. "Or way of getting news." He picks up a coin and drops it into the slot. "It only tunes into Auradon's main channel, but---"

"Wait!" I wave my hand in front of him, staring at the screen. "Look."

"---alerts of the sleeping spell have been spreading throughout Auradon." The news anchor says, walking in a deserted Auradon Prep courtyard. I grip Carlos' shoulder in alarm.

"Uh, guys?" Carlos calls out. "Come look at this." Everyone joins us, including Dr. Facilier.

"---rumors that Sleeping Beauty's daughter, Audrey, is behind the spell." The news guy continues. "We're trying to discover who is behind these vicious lies, and which villain has perpetrated this evil." He pauses for a moment, his hand going to his ear. Probably receiving a message about something.

"We have an update." His face becomes dismayed. "It's what? It's moving this way? I-it's moving this way!"

The screen cuts out, and we all stand in silence. 

___________________________________________

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! And that everyone's having a good day! Because I had a great one! I made my school's fall production!!!

(okay, I'm only an extra, BUT STILL.)

Byeeee!