Malia:

Ara:

Mari:

River:

Gaige:

Ocean Shore of Auradon

Ara, Mari, Uma and River were in the oceans, swimming through the water, with Ara and Mari in mermaid form, and Uma and River in octopus form, while Mal and Malia were in the sky, flying in their dragon forms, all searching. Gaige and Gil were patrolling the seas by boat and binoculars.

Carlos was in the control room of the Tower, speaking to them through technology and magic so that they could hear each other. "All right, I'm seeing nothing on the camera footage. No darkness, no black/red smoke, no Azari. I'm not seeing anything from Ara, Mari, Uma and River's water cams either. Or Mal and Malia's sky cams. Or Gaige and Gil's boat cams."

"We got it, Carlos," Gaige told him. "What do you want us to do?"

"I'm not sure," Carlos admitted. "I mean, before, there was a way to track this guy before he attacked or before that artifact was activated, but now, there's like nothing."

Gil smiled, trying to cheer them up even though he knew that this wasn't the answer. "Hey, Gaige, do you think that maybe we scared him off?"

Gaige gave his brother a look, shaking his head. "No, Gil. A guy like that wouldn't be scared off. And he literally said that he would be back to kill us."

Carlos sighed. "Gaige's right. Hey, girls, come on up. And down. There's nothing here so far."

They all met up at the shore. Ara and Mari put on their mermaid jewelry so they could return human in a swirl of twinkling lights. Uma and River used their power to return human in a cyclone of water. Dragon Mal and Malia, in a swirl of purple smoke, returned to human form. They all stood on the boat with Gaige and Gil.

"Anything?" Ara asked.

"Nothing," Gaige answered. "Not a sight over the sea."

"Nothing more useful under the sea either," Mari told them.

Uma shook her head in agreement. "Nope. Mal, Malia, what about you?"

"Nothing in the sky could help us," Mal answered.

"So none of us saw anything that could help lead us to that Azari guy?" Gil asked.

"No," Malia answered. "You know, when I said that I would like more excitement as a princess, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"Well, get used to it, Malia," Gaige replied. "You, Ara, Mari, Izzy, Yeva, Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Bane, Ben and Anthony might have saved Auradon four times now, but this is like my second, along with Uma, River, Harry and Gil's second, and probably there will be a lot more chances for all of us to save the kingdom again."

"You know, you're not really helping, Gaige," Ara told him.

River smirked. "He's not supposed to help. He's just supposed to be the one with the muscles, brain and snark."

"Thank you very much for that, River," Gaige told her sarcastically.

River shrugged. "What can I say, Gaige? You know it's true."

Carlos sighed, hanging his head. "All right, guys, there's nothing more that we can do for right now."

"You want us to stop?" Ara asked.

"I don't want us to," Carlos answered. "But we're all exhausted, and we all need the rest."

"He's right," Gil agreed. "We can rest up and try again later. We're no good to anybody exhausted or dead."

"That's good advice from you, Gil," Gaige told him.

Gil smiled. "I know. Thanks, Gaige."

"But I don't want to stop," River told them. "I can keep going."

"I'll stay with River if you guys go back," Gaige told them. "Rest is for the weak. We can rest when we're dead."

Gil gave them both a look. "No. River, Gaige, you both need to rest, too."

"Fine," Uma told them. "We'll stop for now and recharge and get back to it."

Carlos sighed. "Thank you."

"I have to go find Bane and see if he's okay," Mari told them. "It's been a few days since Azari's attacked and nearly killed Bane, Ben and Anthony, but they're all pretty shaken up from everything that happened."

"Your boyfriend especially, considering that he saw Azari in his dreams and he tried to kill him for some unknown reason," Uma told her.

"Yeah," Mal agreed. "And Ben and Anthony are trying to tell the kingdom about the potential threats. Malia and I should go help with that."

"Yeah," Malia answered. "Even though I wanted more excitement and this not being what I meant, it's still our job."

"All right," River agreed. "Ara and Mari can do their good girl queen thing while Mal and Malia can go do their good/bad queen/princess thing, Uma, while you, Gaige, Gil and I stay out here to look."

"Uh, River, what did I say?" Carlos asked.

River tilted her head, complaining slightly. "Do I really have to stop looking and rest?"

"Yes!" they all answered.

"River, you looked like you were gonna pull an Ara and Mari and pass out in the ocean and drown from exhaustion," Uma told her.

"Thanks, Uma," Ara told her sarcastically. Uma smirked. "But she's not wrong, River."

Gil nodded. "Resting time. I can get with that. Let's go."

Gaige sighed. "Wasn't wanting to give up yet either, but we don't have a choice right now, do we?"

"No, you don't," Carlos answered. "Uma, Gil, get Gaige and River out of there. All of you get some rest."

Uma sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

"Thanks, guys," Ara told them.

They all nodded, going their separate ways.

-----

Castle - Outside

Anthony:

Ben and Anthony were trying to tell the kingdom about the potential threats and so on, and there was a lot of press and questions that were overlapping.

"I know that everyone is heavily concerned about what happened a couple days ago here in Auradon, where there was darkness spreading throughout the kingdom and taking souls," Anthony told them. "Dr. Facilier explained to me and Ben and the rest of our group that that was from an artifact called the Web of Darkness."

"King Anthony, Prince Ben, do you know where the artifact came from?"

"Yes, we do, on some level," Ben answered. "As most of you know, my and Anthony's brother, Prince Bane, is an expert with magic, and even opened a magic school with Queen Mari. As of late, Bane has gotten some intel on these things that helped warn us about the threat and helped us put a stop to it and save everyone."

"How did he know?"

Mal and Malia arrived, walking through the crowd, walking toward where Hades was standing, as they were all watching Ben and Anthony.

"Ben's and my brother has developed the ability... to see things in his dreams... that later come true," Anthony answered hesitantly. "Just a little bit of came true and he didn't see what was going to happen completely. Just enough to warn us about this villain named Azari before he attacked, but not soon enough to stop it before it happened. We're not entirely sure what Bane's powers are growing to and what is happening to our brother now, but we're hoping that together, we can find and stop Azari."

Hades reacted both times when he heard Azari's name, looking very angry and knowing, turning to face his daughters, worried.

Mal and Malia frowned. "What?"

Hades looked around to see everyone, looking at Mal and Malia. "I need to talk to you two alone. Let's go."

Hades walked away from everyone. Mal and Malia exchanged a confused look with Ben and Anthony in front of everyone, before they followed their father.

The reporters were still going nuts with questions. "King Anthony, Prince Ben!"

"Anthony and I are doing everything we can to solve this new series of unfortunate events in Auradon as quickly as possible," Ben told them.

"Ben and I can't make any promises of when this new villain will be dealt with and how," Anthony told them. "This villain is far stronger than any other villain Auradon has endured. But what we can promise is that Ben, Bane, Ara, Mari, the VKs and I are all going to be working our hardest to defeat this threat. We've defeated threats to Auradon before, and we can do it again. Auradon will be safe once again. And we could use the help of all of you. Any sign of darkness, or any sign of Azari, if you see red and black smoke, please alert us immediately."

"Red and black? You mean like Izzy and Harry? Or Izzy's mother?"

"No," Ben answered. "Izzy and Harry are both working as hard as the rest of us to try and bring Azari down and try to bring peace back to Auradon, getting their colors from her mother Queen of Hearts and his father Captain Hook. And all of you can help us with that, too. So any sign of danger you see, please help us. We can work together to make Auradon safe again."

-----

Izzy and Harry's Mansion - Living Room

Izzy was sitting down, wringing her hands, running her hands through her hair to pull strands of hair behind her ears. She looked down, looking completely overwhelmed and unnerved, tilting her head back. She sat back, unable to stop fidgeting, anxiously glancing toward the case on the table nearby where her scepter was kept with her mother inside.

Harry walked in, seeing Izzy, sighing, walking closer. "Isabella, please don't tell me that you're not still obsessing."

"What is there to obsess about?" Izzy asked sarcastically. "I'm just sitting here, trying to find out why Azari called out to me personally before he disappeared into red and black smoke. Red and black, Harry. Our colors."

"They're not exactly just our colors, love," Harry replied. "Carlos uses them."

"Carlos mostly wears white and black with little accents of red," Izzy corrected. "That's completely different."

Harry smirked in amusement, walking closer, trying to cheer her up. "Oh, that's completely different, is it?"

"Yes, it is completely different, in my mind, anyway," Izzy answered.

Harry chuckled, sitting next to her, resting his arm on the couch behind her. "Just because Azari wore red and black--"

"Azari's smoke is red and black, which is so much more than that," Izzy pointed out.

"Fine," Harry agreed. "Most of us VK/AK kids take colors after our parents. Ara and Mari have a variety of colors to choose from, green from their mother Merida and they use a lot of colors from the sea. I took mine from my father Captain Hook, and so did my sisters Harriet and CJ."

"Haven't really spoken to Harriet and CJ in forever, and that's probably because they don't talk to you much, Hooks," Izzy mused.

Harry gave her an amused look for trying to change the subject. "Yeah. But you got your colors from Queen of Hearts. Red, black and gold. There's a lot of villains out there sharing colors, Izzy, and this could have nothing to do with either of us. And like I said, most kids take after their parents colors. Or at least one of their parents' colors. Since there are no villainy parents that share the colors that could be passed onto their kids."

"Present company excluded," Izzy muttered.

Harry heard her, looking at Izzy in amusement, smirking, raising his eyebrow. "Aye. Is that a hint, darling?"

Izzy looked at him in surprise, confusion. "What? No. I--I wasn't hinting at anything."

"Really?" Harry asked sarcastically, teasing her to make her feel better. "I talk about villainy parents not sharing colors that could be passed onto their kids, and you say present company excluded. Meaning you and me. And you did get this huge mansion, which is a bit too large for just you and me, so is there something you're trying to tell me?"

Izzy was blushing as red as her hair, looking down to hide her blush with her hair, smirking slightly, tilting her head. "Okay, first of all, I wasn't hinting at anything. Or trying to tell you anything. I was just saying that we share colors, but you know what? Forget about it." Harry was laughing. Izzy hit him in the chest, but she couldn't help but laugh a little too, before returning a little more serious. "And nice way of distracting me and making me feel better, but changing the subject like that is not gonna work."

Harry smirked, turning the hook in his hand, using it to pull back Izzy's hair from her face from when she used her hair to hide her blush, as they both looked at each other. "Why are you so worried?"

"Because Azari's the voice I heard in my head when he said my name," Izzy answered. "He called out to me in my head before, Harry."

"Once," Harry agreed. "I'm not sure why, and yes, it is weird and suspicious and worrisome, but we don't know what it means yet. We can figure it out, though."

Izzy stood, walking toward the case with the scepter. "And I think we all know the only way I can figure it out is with that."

Harry quickly stood, stopping Izzy, turning her back to face him. "Isabella. No need to resort to Queen of Hearts's scepter instantly, princess. It's just been a couple days since Azari's attack. Since Celia's birthday. There hasn't been a single threat since then, and there's been no sign that you need the scepter right now."

"Harry, be real," Izzy told him. "To fight off against Azari, we all need to be at our strongest, and you know that I'm strongest when I have my scepter."

"You're also at your most unstable," Harry replied. "Queen of Hearts is just going to use this as a chance to take advantage of your vulnerability and confusion over this to make you more insane, undoing all the work that the others have been doing to help both of us get better."

Izzy was frustrated, sighing. "I hate it when you're right."

Harry smirked, winking. "I'm always right."

"You'd like to think so," Izzy replied. They both managed small smiles. "But you also know that I'm right. I'm going to need my scepter sooner rather than later."

Harry brushed back a little bit of her hair, looking her in the eyes. "Well, let's make it as later as possible."

Izzy nodded, smiling slightly, barely, before shaking her head. "You can't protect me from my mother forever, Harry."

Harry scoffed softly, smirking a bit. "Watch me."

Izzy's smile widened as she looked down slightly. Harry raised her chin so they met gazes.

Izzy let out a long, quiet breath, smirking a slight smile. "Well, thank you. Just don't be disappointed if you can't protect me forever."

Harry nodded a bit. "Don't worry, my little duckling. I'm not one that loses too often." They both chuckled a bit. Izzy bit her lip, leaning closer to kiss him slowly but sweetly. After a moment, they pulled away, leaning their heads together. Harry took her hand in his. "Come on. Let's go talk to the others about what they found. Or haven't found, given our lack of leads the past few days."

Izzy sighed, nodding in agreement. They walked out together.

-----

Bane's Water Mansion - Living Room

Bane:

Bane was sitting alone in his own home, looking over the watery mansion toward the other side of the oceanside where the main water mansion was.

Mari walked in. "Hey, Bane."

"Mari," Bane replied.

Mari looked around in awe, smirking. "I still can't believe that you got this entire water mansion to yourself, while I got to live with Carlos, Ara, Uma, River, Gaige and Gil in the other water mansion, which is so huge."

"Yeah, well, we all love our water mansions," Bane told her tensely, trying to make a joke but his anxiety and tension not making the joke funny.

Mari looked at Bane knowingly, sighing, walking closer. "Bane."

"What?" Bane asked.

Mari sat in front of him. "Talk to me."

"What about?" Bane asked.

"About how you weren't with Ben and Anthony giving the speech to all of Auradon about Azari and the safety and everything," Mari answered. "You're usually right up with them as prince to help Auradon."

"I'm trying, Mari," Bane told her. "But ever since Azari tried to kill me, I've been having trouble."

"I know," Mari told him. "And I want to help you, but you keep pushing me away."

Bane sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to push you away, okay? I just knew that you needed to focus on helping the others look for Azari. While I've been trying to use my visions or whatever they are to try and find him so we can stop this nightmare before it gets any worse."

"But you only see your visions in dreams as far as we know of, since these visions are so new," Mari finished. "And you're looking just as exhausted as Ara, Uma, River, Gaige, Gil, Mal and Malia. That's why Carlos sent us home to try and get some sleep."

"Yeah, you do need some sleep," Bane told her. "You look like you could use the rest."

"Yeah, and so do you," Mari replied. "And don't change the subject to me. My point is, you see your visions by sleeping, by dreaming, so if you're trying so hard to see a vision of Azari, why would you be so exhausted since you would have to go to sleep just to see a vision?"

"Because I know that he's going to sense me there again like he did last time before he tried to kill me, and he's gonna force me out again, and he's gonna try and kill me again," Bane answered.

Mari looked at him worriedly, taking his hands in hers. "It's okay that you're scared. We all are scared for you after what he did to you. But we're not gonna let him hurt you again. I promise."

Bane stood, pacing. "Yeah, and what happens if he hurts everyone else? He wasn't looking at just me when he said that he wanted to kill us, Mari. He was looking at you, Ara, Uma, River, Mal, Malia, Yeva and Celia. Why would he be looking at us like that? Why would he want to kill us like that?"

Mari stood. "I don't know. Maybe it has to do with what he called you and whatever you, Ben and Anthony mentioned saying about what he said about voodoo queens. He called you a Guardian, and the only voodoo queens around here, are the voodoo princesses Yeva and Celia Facilier."

Bane sighed. "Which explains why he attacked me on Celia's birthday, trying to ruin the day for all of us. What does he have against me, Yeva and Celia? Or you, Ara, Mal, Malia, Uma and River for that matter? I mean, he didn't say anything about you guys."

"And why did he single Izzy out when he said goodbye and told Harry that he didn't have to protect her from him?" Mari added.

Bane pointed at Mari. "Yeah, you know what? That is a good question. Izzy is probably obsessing about that more than us, and that is saying something."

"Yeah, especially considering how much you've been obsessing," Mari agreed.

"Uh, I'm not the only one that's obsessing, thank you very much," Bane replied. "Carlos told me that he practically had to force you, Ara, Uma, River, Mal, Malia, Gaige and Gil to take a break from looking for clues for Azari and send you home to get some rest, and River and Gaige had to be dragged away by Uma and Gil."

"Yes, that is true," Mari agreed. "But I came here to you because I knew that you would be obsessing and I wanted to help you."

"When you're obsessing yourself by not getting rest and not dropping this like the others," Bane replied.

Mari gave him a look. "Bane, would you just shut up and let me help you?"

Bane smirked, sighing, giving in. "Fine."

"Other than the vision thing, what else have you been doing?" Mari asked.

Bane walked toward his bedroom/office, leading Mari in with him. "Well, it's funny you ask. Since the visions only work if I'm sleeping and I can't go to sleep to see a vision without Azari sensing me there, I've been investigating more about the box I saw in my last vision, along with the artifacts."

"Yeah?" Mari asked. "What about it?"

"Well, I told you guys before that it was Pandora's Box in my vision that Azari opened and released all those artifacts," Bane told her.

"Right," Mari agreed.

"Well, since I've been researching all of this, I know about all of the artifacts that were put into the box so that if I see a vision of Azari activating another artifact, I will know what the artifact is, and I will know how to deactivate it," Bane explained.

"You mean like how you knew how to deactivated the Web of Darkness, as Facilier called it after Yeva and Celia explained?" Mari asked.

"Well, Facilier was right, it was the Web of Darkness," Bane explained. "But I didn't know how to deactivate that, Mari. That just... sort of happened on its own. I just felt like I had to do something and I did it."

"Okay, you said that before, and none of us got it then, and I still don't get it now," Mari admitted.

"I don't get it either," Bane agreed. "But it just happened. But at least now I will know what the artifacts are and how to deactivate them instantly, but there are some steps required to be able to deactivate some of them."

"Okay," Mari told him. "So you know more about the box. You know more about the artifacts. You know how to disarm them. What does this all mean now?"

Bane sighed, taking a deep breath, nodding. "It means that I think I'm ready to fully put myself to sleep to try and see what artifact that Azari is going to activate next, so that I can identify the artifact, and know how to deactivate it."

Mari looked at him in concern, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure?"

Bane looked from Mari's hand up to her, nodding unconvincingly. "Yeah, of course." Mari tilted her head at him skeptically. Bane shook his head. "Not really. But I don't have a choice right now, Mari. I'm the only one that can see these visions and find out what Azari's going to do next. I'm the only one that can anticipate what he'll do and figure out how to stop him before he does it, hopefully. I have to do this."

Bane walked toward his bed, laying down.

Mari thought for a moment, walking toward Bane, sitting next to him in a chair. "Well, if you're doing this, then I'm staying right here."

Bane looked up in surprise. "What? Why?"

"Because of your fears from before," Mari answered. "If you go to sleep and see a vision and Azari knows that you're there and he forces you out and if you feel it, then I'll be right here for you."

"Mari--" Bane started.

"Bane," Mari replied. "This guy is serious and he already hurt you in a vision, and he already tried to kill you in real life. I'm not leaving you alone as you go into another vision to find out what he's doing so we can stop him and save Auradon... again."

Bane chuckled without humor. "Yeah, again. My kingdom wouldn't survive a day without all of us."

Mari smirked, shaking her head. "It really wouldn't." She returned serious, taking Bane's hand in hers. "I know that I can't help you with the vision, and I know that me being here wouldn't stop Azari from hurting you in the vision. But as long as I'm here, I can be here for you when you wake up. I know I can't do much, but..."

Bane looked at Mari, touched, smiling slightly, leaning up to give her a sweet, slow and passionate kiss that she returned in kind, before pulling away. "You're doing more than enough."

They both smiled a bit nervously, both anxious for the dream/vision and what Bane could see or what Azari could do to Bane through the vision.

"I'll be right here," Mari told him. "I'm not leaving your side."

"Promise?" Bane asked.

Mari nodded. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Bane and Mari smiled a bit.

Bane sighed. "All right. Here goes everything."

Mari trailed her fingers along Bane's hand to help him fall asleep naturally. Bane slipped into sleep so he could see the vision/dream.

-----

Main Water Mansion - Patio/Garden

Ara was here, setting up a little bit of a picnic, hearing someone arrive inside, knowing it was Carlos, smiling.

She heard Carlos from inside. "Ara?"

"Out here, Carlos," Ara called, turning to stand in front of the picnic.

Carlos walked outside, seeing the picnic, looking at the candles, the garden, and the ocean view from the patio they were on, in awe. "Oh, my God. Ara..."

Ara smiled. "You like?"

Carlos smiled, completely touched, walking closer. "I love. And I don't mean just the picnic, I mean you too."

Ara laughed lightly. "I know you didn't mean just the picnic, Carlos. And I love you too."

Carlos and Ara shared a sweet kiss.

Carlos was a bit worried. "Are you sure it's okay to do this right now? I mean, with Azari out there, and you, Mari, Mal, Malia, Uma, River, Yeva, Celia and Bane in danger, and whatever he meant by saying bye to Izzy and about how Harry didn't need to protect her from him..."

Ara closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Mm-mm. Mm. Don't ruin the moment. Please."

Carlos smiled slightly. "All right."

Ara took Carlos by the hands. "Everyone is so worried about what Azari will do, and I am too. But if we stop living our lives, it means he already won. So I would like to have a nice candlelit picnic on a patio garden with the view of the ocean with my boyfriend, with no interruptions, no drama, no worries, and no talk about Azari or impending doom."

Carlos chuckled, holding up their hands which were intertwined. "Well, now that you say it like that, how can I say no?"

Ara smirked, shaking her head. "You can't."

Carlos laughed in amusement. "No?"

"No," Ara answered.

"You're right, I can't," Carlos told her. They laughed. "Let's eat." Carlos pulled out Ara's seat for her to sit, before taking his own seat. They both smiled as they started to eat. "You said no interruptions, when that seems impossible since we share this huge water mansion with Mari, River, Gaige, Uma and Gil, so that means that someone is bound to interrupt."

"Mari's over at Bane's water mansion," Ara explained. "Uma and Gil are sleeping, but River and Gaige snuck off to try to look more for the threat instead of getting rest like you told us too."

"Why am I not surprised?" Carlos asked sarcastically. "Oh, I know why. Because that's just River and Gaige like to ignore what everyone says even if it means that it hurts them in the long run."

Ara chuckled in agreement. "Right. Seriously."

"What was it that Gaige said?" Carlos asked, mimicking Gaige's voice. "Rest is for the weak. We'll rest when we're dead."

Ara couldn't help but laugh lightly at Carlos's funny impression of Gaige, which made Carlos smile and laugh as well.

Ara bit her lip, tilting her head. "Do you remember when neither of us wanted to start a relationship with each other because I was so worried about my parents making me and Mari leave Auradon forever, which they wanted for us at first, until they saw that we were better heroes in this kingdom, and before they saw that it was better this way for us to unite the three kingdoms?"

Carlos nodded. "And I didn't want to start anything because I was still a villain kid that was plotting against Auradon and I didn't want to hurt you more by starting something before. And I was crushing on you for months after we chose good, and my friends were all saying how obvious it was that I was crushing on you."

Ara smirked, nodding. "It was obvious."

Carlos looked at her in surprise. "I didn't think it was obvious."

Ara laughed. "It was so obvious. Anybody could see. Anybody with eyes or ears, anyway." They laughed. "But the thing was, I was pretty obvious with liking you too. You just didn't know it, or you didn't believe that I would say yes to being with you."

"Right," Carlos agreed. "But I'm glad that with the help of Izzy and Dude and everyone else, that I did finally ask you to cotillion."

Ara smiled. "Me too. And then helping each other with the building and opening of Tails, and building of the Tower, which could open soon."

"You and Mari leaving for a year because you had to go become queens, while I was helping Evie with the technology part of the line that both of you are," Carlos added.

Ara reached out to take his hand on the table. "And now we're here."

Carlos smiled. "Now we're here."

"I told you you could never be a real villain, Carlos," Ara pointed out.

"And I told you that you would make a great queen and we would be so happy, even with how hectic it has been ever sense you became queen," Carlos replied.

"It's hard to believe that we started out with such big walls, that fell away six months after you came to Auradon," Ara admitted.

Carlos nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is. It didn't take long for us to let each other in."

Ara shook her head, smiling. "No, it didn't. And I loved the songs we sang, and danced together to."

Carlos smiled excitedly. "Me too. I loved the singing and dancing with you too. When I first heard you sing... I don't know how to say this, but you touched something in me." He put a hand over his heart. "Right here. All of this was really... I don't know how to explain it, but it's been the best thing that's ever happened, Ara."

Ara was touched, in awe by the words, smiling, biting her lip lightly, tilting her head. "It's the best thing that's ever happened to me, too... Carlos." She stood, walking toward the stereo to play an instrumental, beautiful piece, turning to Carlos, offering him her hand. "Do you want to dance?"

"Now?" Carlos asked in surprise.

"Yeah, now," Ara answered.

"Isn't it the guy that is usually asking the girl is she would like to dance?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, but I'm queen, so I get to do somethings that I want, and that something that I want right now is to ask my boyfriend to dance with me," Ara answered.

Carlos smiled, taking Ara's hand, standing. "Can't say no to that. I would love to dance."

Carlos and Ara started to dance to a slow, sweet, almost haunting version of Halo, covered by Madilyn Bailey, stepping back, then forward.

Carlos started to sing. "Remember those walls I built?" Carlos spun Ara around closer to him. They remained in each other's arms like that, smiling at the other, swaying together. "Well, baby, they're tumbling down / They didn't even put up a fight / They didn't even make a sound."

Ara smiled, shaking her head, as they stepped together in a dance for the song. "I found a way to let you in / But I never really had a doubt / Standing in the light of your halo / I got my angel now."

Carlos spun Ara, turning to where she had her back to him, holding her close, leaning them to the side, standing straight, spinning her away, as they never let go. "It's like I've been awakened / Every rule I had you breaking."

They spun closer to the other, moving their arms together as part of the dance, stepping closer, stepping away.

Ara smiled. "It's the risk that I'm taking." Carlos spun Ara into his arms, as they spun around in place while in the other's arms. Ara spun away, never letting his hand go. "I ain't never gonna shut you out."

They spun together.

Carlos was singing. "Everywhere I'm looking now." Carlos spun Ara into a dip, pulling her back up as they continued to spin. "I'm surrounded by your embrace." Ara wrapped her arms around his neck as they leaned to the side, continuing the dance. "Baby, I can see your halo / You know you're my saving grace."

Carlos spun her away.

Ara smiled. "You're everything I need and more / It's written all over your face." Ara spun closer into Carlos's arms as he lowered her in a dip. "Baby, I can feel your halo / Pray it won't fade away."

Carlos spun Ara up, as they circled and spun each other around. "I can feel your halo, halo, halo."

Ara motioned a halo over Carlos's head. "I can see your halo, halo, halo."

As Carlos spun Ara to where her back was to him and they were in each other's arms, they sang together beautifully, dramatically. "I can feel your halo, halo, halo / I can see your halo, halo, halo."

They spun away.

Carlos continued the dance with one arm, using the other to reach behind him to Ara, their hands held from behind them. "Hit me like a ray of sun." Ara looked over her shoulder to him, smiling. "Burning through my darkest nights." Carlos spun to where they were facing each other again, arms still linked. "You're the only one that I want / Think I'm addicted to your light."

Carlos spun Ara closer into his arms, lifting her up, spinning her around.

Ara twirled down into his arms like she fell. "I swore I'd never fall again / But this don't even feel like falling." Carlos put Ara down, as they continued to dance, involving swaying back and forth and spinning the other one around to where they were switching places. "Gravity can't forget to pull me back to the ground again." They spun around again, as Carlos held her closer. "Feels like I've been awakened / Every rule I had you breaking."

Carlos put Ara in a dip, swaying her from one side to the other. "The risk that I'm taking." He pulled Ara back up, spinning her around. "I'm never gonna shut you out."

As they were spinning around, Carlos held her as Ara hung her head back.

Ara hung her head back, trailing her arm through the air below her head, which was also technically above her head. "Everywhere I'm looking now / I'm surrounded by your embrace." Ara spun closer into Carlos's arms. Carlos picked her up, spinning her around. "Baby, I can see your halo / You know you're my saving grace."

Carlos put Ara down, as they danced very slowly and simply compared to before. "You're everything I need and more / It's written all over your face / Baby, I can feel your halo / Pray it won't fade away."

Ara turned to the patio/balcony railing to overlook the ocean, smiling. "I can feel your halo, halo, halo."

Carlos stood with Ara, smiling. "I can see your halo, halo, halo."

Ara looked at Carlos, grinning, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I can feel your halo, halo, halo."

Carlos wrapped his arm around Ara as they looked over the ocean. "I can see your halo, halo, halo."

Carlos and Ara, still in each other's arms, backed away from the railing, continuing their dance, spinning together repeatedly, singing together. "Everywhere I'm looking now / I'm surrounded by your embrace / Baby, I can see your halo / You know you're my saving grace / You're everything I need and more / It's written all over your face / Baby, I can feel your halo / Pray it won't fade away."

Carlos spun Ara around. "I can feel your halo, halo, halo."

Ara tilted her head on his shoulder. "I can see your halo, halo, halo."

Carlos spun Ara away. "I can feel your halo, halo, halo."

Ara spun closer into his arms so he could lower her into a dip again and pull her back. "I can see your halo, halo, halo."

Carlos and Ara raised their arms over their heads, spinning around. "I can feel your halo, halo, halo / I can see your halo, halo, halo / I can feel your halo, halo, halo / I can see your halo, halo, halo."

They finished the song and dance with an embrace, smiling, looking at each other happily, looking over the ocean view as they remained in their embrace. They looked at each other, starting to kiss passionately and sweetly, pulling away, leaning their heads together, smiling a bit, more relaxed than anyone else at the moment, just happy to be with each other.

-----

Tower - Training Room

Facilier was training Celia with her power from voodoo and unique power of shadow manipulation.

Celia was getting a bit better at it, but she was frustrated at how long it was taking to learn how to master it. "Dad, look. Yeva and I didn't even know that we could have unique powers from our voodoo/hoodoo heritage until we were learning more about the craft in the magic school, and she didn't even realize she was related to us because of Yzma. And normal people with the craft don't get a unique power, so why do we?"

"Because of our line," Facilier answered. "My power, which later was my downfall, was controlling the spirits, and I lost control of those powers, but I learned from that, all right? And so can you and Yeva. Now that Yzma's not in the way."

Celia looked up at Facilier in confusion. "What do you think Yeva and Jay are doing?"

"Training in the other room," Facilier answered. "Hand to hand and with Yeva's other power. You'll both get it, Celia. Okay?"

Celia nodded. "Okay. Promise?"

Facilier smiled. "Promise."

-----

Other Room

Yeva:

Jay tossed a staff to Yeva. "Look alive. We're training both hand to hand and with your new powers, huh?"

"Yeah," Yeva answered. "Just weird to think about. I mean, Celia gets shadow manipulation and divination with her cards or other things, and I get telepathy and voodoo energy beam emission."

"Yeah, speaking of that, you're cheating by reading my thoughts and knowing what I'll do before I make a move," Jay told her. "And that's cheating, Yeva."

Yeva smirked. "It's not cheating if the whole point of this training exercise is for me to learn how to use the telepathy to my advantage." Jay swung his staff toward her, but Yeva ducked both times. As Yeva was speaking, she was able to use her staff to trade and block blows with Jay with ease. "I can read thoughts, project my thoughts into other people's heads, and even use this power to control people's thoughts like hypnotism."

Jay swung the staff a couple more times. Yeva could block the moves with her hands.

Jay smirked. "Yeah, cheating."

Yeva smiled. "No. Surviving."

Jay chuckled. "Talk about you being hypnotic."

Yeva smiled, trying to hit Jay with her staff twice, which Jay could block with his staff both times, trying to return, but Yeva blocked the move, spinning out of the way, flipping through the air to try to hit Jay. Jay raised his staff to block the move, flipping Yeva to the floor, which she landed on her feet from, spinning to kick Jay in the stomach, making him fall. Jay flipped up to his feet.

Yeva, practicing her power, projected her thoughts into Jay's head. "You're doubting yourself."

Jay smirked, thinking his response, knowing that Yeva would hear him. "Hard not to against a telepathic voodoo princess."

Yeva smiled, speaking. "Yeah, but you know that you're still the better fighter."

Jay chuckled, speaking. "And I don't know about you, might I like seeing you in the voodoo queen mode."

Yeva gave Jay a look, smirking. "Don't flirt with me while we're training, Jay. We have to get ready for any threat that Azari throws at us. You want the upper hand? Don't think. Just fight."

Jay nodded, taking that seriously, no longer thinking about what he would do next, just acting on instinct with his movements, which made it harder for Yeva to anticipate his fighting since Jay wasn't thinking about it as much. Yeva still managed to disarm Jay with the staff, throwing it down. They blocked a lot of each other's moves. Yeva shot out a voodoo energy emission beam from her hand, which Jay flipped over to make her miss, and used a shield to deflect others she shot.

Jay was thinking so Yeva could hear him. "Tell me that you're not just a little impressed."

Yeva took advantage of the fact that Jay was distracted to fire a low powered energy beam at him, which barely touched him before it disappeared, distracting him so she could try to hit him with her staff. Jay blocked the move, doing a spin to get around Yeva.

Yeva used her staff to twist Jay down, standing over him, pointing her staff at his head, thinking. "Those would have been your last thoughts."

Jay smirked, thinking. "Not necessarily." Jay came up behind Yeva to put his arms around her shoulders and neck, though Yeva knew what he was doing, twisting free before he could finish the lock, raising her arms like in a smug dance, gesturing for Jay to bring it on with a beckoning wave of her fingers. Jay smirked, lunging closer. Yeva ducked, spinning to kick Jay's feet out from underneath him, making him fall, sitting behind him to put him in the same lock. Jay twisted free so that he could twist them over for the floor, and they both knelt facing each other. Jay looked at Yeva, thinking. "I didn't know this was supposed to be a competition."

Yeva smirked, flipping them back to the ground to hold Jay in a lock which he broke, projecting her own thoughts back to Jay. "Oh, am I supposed to let you win? But we're supposed to be working."

Jay chuckled. "Oh, you're so cute when you're serious."

They flipped up to their feet.

Yeva smiled, shaking her head, speaking aloud again. "I told you not to flirt with me. You distract me way too much."

Jay walked closer, as they were both looking at each other, the tension palpable. "Yeah, but you like being distracted most of the time."

They started to kiss, making out for a long moment.

Yeva broke the kiss, pointing at him. "Hold that thought. Because we can't be distracted right now. Okay?"

Jay sighed, nodding. "Okay. Back to working out. In a way that I don't really like more than the one I had in mind."

Yeva smiled, unable to help a small laugh in surprise. "Wow. Just focus, okay?"

"Yeah," Jay answered.

When Yeva shot an energy beam at Jay, Jay used the shield to make it deflect back at her, but Yeva flipped through the air to make it miss and hit the wall behind her, which seared the wall on impact.

Hearing the noise, Celia and Facilier ran inside, worried.

"You guys okay?" Facilier asked.

"Yeah," Jay answered. "Yeva just shot a beam and I deflected it, she ducked, and it burned the wall."

Yeva pointed at the wall.

Celia and Facilier followed their gazes, seeing the burns.

Celia winced. "Oh, Carlos is gonna kill us, isn't he?"

"Not technically," Yeva answered. "We can use magic to fix it. And even if we didn't, I think Carlos would understand that we're trying to train so we can try to figure out how to stop Azari."

Jay walked closer. "But we should definitely use magic to fix it before Carlos realizes that we messed up the Tower before it even opened up officially."

Facilier sighed. "Okay, well, the others have been looking for Azari nonstop. And Yeva and Celia have been training with their powers nonstop. Not to mention that you've been helping train with actual fighting, Jay. Why don't you guys go home and take a break? Get some rest."

Celia sighed. "All right. Yeva, Jay, can I crash at your place? I mean, your place is so pretty."

Yeva and Jay smiled.

"Sure," Jay answered. "Let's go."

Celia smirked smugly. "And while we go there, we can talk about the plan to have you guys get married on Valentine's Day next week, spiting Yzma and all."

Jay and Yeva groaned as if they forgot about Celia wanting that, causing Celia to smile and Facilier to laugh quietly.

"Right," Jay agreed. "Guess we don't really have a choice since you blackmailed us for that on your birthday, and we wanted to make up for Azari messing up your birthday by starting the battle. And spiting Yzma is just the cherry on top."

Celia smiled smugly. "Yep. You're right. You don't have a choice. Nope."

Jay and Yeva couldn't help but smile.

"Okay," Yeva agreed. "Besides, like Ara says, if we stop living our lives, then we let Azari win. So okay. We'll go along with it."

Celia smiled excitedly, cheering. "Yes!"

Facilier chuckled. "Yeva, Jay, I agree with Celia and Ara. You should definitely go along living your lives by finally marrying. But we need to be prepared for it when Azari comes to destroy that wedding day. I mean, he started this war on Celia's birthday, and he threatened both her and Yeva, and Mal, Malia, Ara, Mari, Uma and River, and he tried to kill Bane, and whatever his fascination with Izzy..."

"Yeah, we know," Jay agreed. "He tried to destroy Celia's birthday, so he'll definitely try to destroy my and Yeva's wedding. But we'll be prepared, Facilier. Promise."

Yeva nodded in agreement. "Promise. Let's go get some rest."

Facilier gestured to the door, looking at Yeva and Celia. "Yes, please do. Finally you two listen to your father."

"Don't push it that far," Yeva replied.

Jay and Celia laughed. Facilier smirked, shaking his head.

Yeva wrapped an arm around either Jay and Celia as Celia took Facilier's hand, and they all walked out of the room.

-----

Azari's Hideout

Azari was going through an arsenal of magical weapons, trying to look for anything that could help him or others he could recruit into helping him, finding a glowing red sword, smiling slightly. "Isa." Azari used magic to transform the glowing red sword into a heart necklace with a silver setting, finding another sword, which was black and red, very threatening and god/demon like. "Mine." He found two purple double swords, spinning them around, using magic to turn the two double swords into a purple cat necklace, laughing at the ironic joke since Yeva had turned her mother into a cat. "Yzma will like that. She'll hate me for it." Azari sighed, turning to a table, which was set up with a map, focusing. "Find her. Isa."

Azari closed his eyes, focusing on finding Isa.

In Izzy and Harry's Mansion, the case with the scepter was keeping the whispers from Queen of Hearts inside the scepter from breaking through and tormenting Izzy, and it kept Azari's magic mostly out, but Azari could magically make a conversation with Queen of Hearts.

-----

Subconscious - Dark Room

Queen of Hearts, looking younger than she had, like a younger version of herself, appeared in a room with mirrors everywhere, lost, picking up a torch so she could see. "Hello? How the hell did I get here?"

Azari walked closer. "I brought your subconscious here to meet with mine halfway. I couldn't let you out of the scepter yet because of the case that the scepter and you are inside in kept my magic from releasing you just yet. Hello, Isa."

Isa looked at him in shock. "Azari."

Azari smirked, holding out his arms, tilting his head, doing a little sing song voice in a threatening manner. "I'm back!" He laughed lightly. "Miss me?"

Isa swallowed nervously, chuckling. "You know I did."

Azari did a little bow, standing straight. "Don't lie to me, Isa. I know you never loved me. You can't love someone that you fear."

"But you know I was never fully afraid of you," Isa replied. "We both ruled in fear, Azari. That's what made us so scary to everyone else."

"Yes, because yelling 'off with their heads' every time someone made you even a little angry made them realize to never make you mad," Azari told her in a slight mocking tone. "You were such an evil queen, Isa. But you were never a shadow demon god like me."

"True," Isa agreed. "But that doesn't matter now, does it? I see you got free from the Isle of the Doomed when Yeva lowered the barrier spell around the Isle."

"Yep," Azari answered. "Breaking free from the place that your old friends put me was not easy. The ones that you let use your scepter to lock me away, though you never could go up against me. And I never knew why you let them lock me away, but now, now I know."

Azari held out his arms, using magic to make it seem like they were surrounded by high burning flames.

Isa looked around nervously in amusement, giving Azari a look. "You always have to be dramatic."

"You're one to talk," Azari replied, walking closer with a bounce in his step. "I wanted to recruit some helpers for me. With you and me leading the charge, of course. And a little help from our old friend Yzma. But I would like to keep it where I rewind your ages back to when we first met so all of you can be young and good enough to put up a real fight against these kids of villains and heroes who are getting better every day. You young again, along with Yzma. Maybe even all of our other little friends, too. They might have turned their backs on me before when they were scared of having to answer to me, and helped Facilier and Hades lock me away, but now that I'm back and I have my magic, I can give them anything they want just to see them turn back into their former wicked ways, even going against their own children to do it."

"We would all love to be young again," Isa admitted. "Some would definitely take you up on your offer. Right now, I look the way I did when we first met anyway."

"Because I wanted you too," Azari replied. "Aging does not suit you, Isa."

Isa scoffed. "What do you want exactly, Azari? Why don't you let me out now?"

"Because I can't," Azari answered. "Not without finding the scepter and reaching through it to pull you out. And with you and the scepter inside that case, I can't release you just yet. I have to wait until Isabella and Harry Hook are not with the scepter and the case, but even then, I couldn't open the case because of the magic that Izzy and her friends cast on it to make sure that you couldn't torment her again, also keeping me out because of the ones that used the magic. The Guardian Bane, voodoo princesses Yeva and Celia, the demigoddesses Mal, Malia, Ara, Mari, Uma and River. Their magic combined with Isabella's? I could barely bring our subconsciouses together just to speak with you. I wouldn't be able to open the case myself, so I have to wait until Izzy is forced to open the case herself so she can try and use the scepter, and then I will be able to release you."

"Good luck with that, because that Harry Hook is making sure that she doesn't have to use the scepter or even open the case for as long as they can," Isa told him. "Izzy nearly opened the case earlier but Harry Hook convinced her not to. But they both said that she'll need to sooner rather than later, even though Harry wants to make sure that it is very much later."

"Well, I can make sure that it's sooner," Azari replied. "You just loved whispering and tormenting Izzy after she put you in the scepter, didn't you?"

"It was the only way I could try to get through to her," Isa countered. "I wanted her to lose her mind enough to where I could find a way out of here, but it didn't work."

Azari smirked, laughing lightly. "Hey, I'm not judging you. But don't worry. I'm here to make it all better, as soon as Isabella has to use the scepter."

"Good," Isa stated. "You should know... even without much nudging from me... Izzy missed being evil. Because it's in her blood more than the others."

Azari smiled. "She missed being evil, eh? Good. That's something I can work with. Izzy and Harry's little friends all tried to mend their minds and make them better, but we both know that madness like that doesn't disappear. And they're about to learn that very soon. We can make it grow and grow, worse than ever before. Like madness from me and you and Yzma."

Isa chuckled. "Mm, now we're talking."

Azari smiled evilly, turning to face Isa. "What do you say we get started?"

Azari laughed evilly and insanely.

-----

Bane's Dream Vision

Bane gasped, opening his eyes, seeing he was standing on a street, looking around, seeing the sky was red and that everything was in chaos, seeing people fighting each other. He also saw his group of friends fighting each other, including Harry, Gaige, Gil, Anthony, Ben, Jay and Carlos sword fighting in the street trying to kill each other, and Dragon!Malia and Dragon!Mal flying in the sky, trying to attack Uma, River, Ara and Mari on the roof, shooting magic at them.

Bane looked around in absolute shock. "What is happening? Where the hell am I?" Bane looked around, turning around, yelling in surprise when he saw a hurt, bloody version of himself in front of him, looking at him in shock to see him like that. "What's happening?"

"You need to find it," Vision Bane told him.

"Find what?" Bane asked.

"If you do, all will change," Vision Bane told him. "Listen to me. Azari is gonna use the Horn of Chaos and you can stop it by finding the Stone of Order. Find it and this will be prevented."

Bane nodded in understanding. "I will, I promise."

"You must go now," Vision Bane told him.

"But wait--" Bane started.

Vision Bane tried to wake him up. "Leave, now!"

Before Bane could wake up, he was pulled to another part of the vision, on a rooftop, seeing that the world was back to normal, confused.

He heard Azari's voice behind him. "Well, well, well." Bane's eyes widened as he recognized the voice, in shock, nervous, turning to see Azari. "Hello, Guardian."

Bane started to back away from him to the edge of the rooftop. "Stay the hell away from me."

"Oh, sorry, prince," Azari told him mockingly. "Is our connection not what you pictured? 'Cause I just love having you running around in my head all the time."

"I don't wanna be here, either, trust me," Bane told him.

"Why are you here anyway?" Azari asked. "I haven't done anything else." He smirked. "Yet anyway."

Bane shook his head. "No reason. Just took a nap."

Azari smirked, shrugging. "Well, now that I'm here, might as well hurt you a little."

Azari created a ball of red and black magic in his hand to throw at Bane.

Bane looked behind him to see the ground, getting an idea. "Have you ever heard the saying that goes if you fall in your dreams, you wake up before hitting the ground?"

Azari looked at him skeptically. "That's a lie."

"Is it?" Bane asked, raising his arms in a shrug. "Let's find out."

Azari shook his head. "No."

Azari shot the red/black energy ball at Bane.

Before Bane could be hit, he let himself fall with his arms raised and his eyes closed. "Please be true. I wanna wake up. Just wake up."

-----

Bane's Water Mansion - Bedroom/Office

Mari was still sitting at Bane's beside, watching him worriedly, holding his hand. Bane gasped awake, sitting up, looking around.

Mari reached out to him to calm him down, looking at him in relief. "Hey, Bane, it's just me. I'm here."

Mari took Bane's face in her hands to look him in the eyes in relief and make him realize everything was okay.

Bane returned Mari's gaze in relief, embracing her. "Thank God. Mari..."

Mari held him close. "Are you all right?"

Bane shook his head. "Not really." They pulled away. "But I got the vision. Call the others. We have to fix this now."

Mari nodded. "Let's do it."

Mari took Bane's hand, as the two stood and walked out of the room together

-----

Tower

Yeva's normal outfit:

Anthony's chill outfit:

Mari and Bane were here, waiting for the rest of the group as they started to arrive in the building. Facilier was watching the group from behind them, there for Yeva and Celia to know that they would be okay.

"We're here," Izzy called.

Yeva pointed at Izzy. "I prefer the 'I'm back' thing you always do."

"Yeah, me too," Jay agreed.

"Why?" Izzy asked. "That's my mom's thing."

"Yeah, but you make it your own style, too," Evie pointed out. "We like the Izzy style of 'I'm back'."

That managed to get some chuckles in agreement.

Bane looked up as they all gathered around. "Finally."

"What were you guys, doing hair and makeup?" Mari asked sarcastically.

Evie shrugged. "I was. I can't look bad if we're gonna save the world."

"We're dealing with the fate of the world, people," Ben told them.

"When aren't we?" River replied.

"So what's gonna happen today?" Harry asked.

"What other life threatening situation to we have to solve?" Gaige asked mockingly.

Ara looked around, realizing who wasn't there yet. "Wait, where are Mal and Malia?"

"They had to leave with Hades, but they're on their way," Anthony answered.

Facilier looked up as if remembering something, sighing, shaking his head, rolling his eyes. "Hades. Damn him."

"What, Dad?" Celia asked.

"Nothing," Facilier told them.

"Well, I wanna know what's gonna attack now, so if you would hurry the hell up?" Uma asked. They all looked at her. "Please."

"You and River, always so polite, Uma," Ara told her sarcastically.

River smirked. "Mm, not all of us can be graceful queens like you, Mal and Mari, Ara, or princesses like Malia."

"But Uma and River are villain royalty like Izzy, Yeva, Celia and Evie," Gil pointed out. Once again, they all looked at Gil. "Just saying."

"Well, moving on to the issue at hand?" Facilier asked.

"Right," Bane agreed. "I had one of my newly dream visions of Azari."

"What?" Carlos asked. "Wait, when?"

"Mari, why would you let him do that?" Anthony asked. "It's dangerous for him."

"Bane was gonna do it anyway," Mari replied. "Ben, Anthony, you know how he gets. I couldn't convince him not to. And the least I could do is support him."

"Okay, first of all, I'm right here," Bane told them. "And I'm fine. I just had to fall to death to wake up so nothing that serious."

"What?" Ben asked. "Nothing that serious? Did you seriously just say that?"

Yeva sighed. "Okay, moving on."

Mari nodded to the computers. "Carlos, I did a presentation while waiting for you guys, so if you could..."

"Yeah, sure," Carlos agreed, taking his seat at the computers.

"A presentation?" Uma repeated. "Seriously?"

"I get creative while stressing, okay?" Mari asked. "Sue me."

"Guys, fate of the world, remember?" Jay asked. "Back to that, please."

Carlos started the presentation, showing a drawing of the Horn.

"Dr. Facilier, you knew about the Web of Darkness because of your voodoo witch doctor history and your friends on the other side," Bane told him. "You know one?"

Facilier nodded. "The Horn of Chaos."

"Yep," Bane answered. "AKA the next artifact that Azari will use."

"Will?" Izzy repeated. "Meaning he hasn't used it yet?"

"No," Mari answered. "If he had, we would know. This is pretty dark stuff."

"Wait, I thought Bane could see what Azari is doing while he is doing it?" Gaige asked.

"Well, he did see that Azari would attack us and Ben in the castle before it happened, so..." Anthony trailed off.

"So you can see the future now?" Gil asked. "Cool, Bane."

"Well, I don't know about the whole future," Bane admitted. "Just Azari's future. And I don't know how it works. From what I gathered from my vision, I think this is supposed to happen tomorrow, so we have a day to stop it, so I don't know if all my visions are like this."

"So you're saying you have no control on your new powers whatsoever?" Celia asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," Bane answered. "I feel like you guys now."

"Hey," Ara complained.

Harry smirked. "Okay, back to this horn thing. What does it do?"

"Its tune can make everyone in Auradon go ballistic, meaning they lose all control of what they're doing, and their minds go to that of like an animal, full of hunger and hatred, complete killing mode," Bane answered.

"Wow," Yeva said, stunned.

"That is dark," Jay told them.

"You were right, Mari," Evie told her.

Uma and River nodded in agreement. "Mm-hmm."

"That's not the end of it," Mari told them. "The user that rings it, as long as the tune is ringing, gets temporary magic, and very powerful magic at that."

"Why would Azari do that?" Carlos asked. "He obviously has magical powers. Very powerful magic powers on his own."

"Why does that psycho do anything?" Izzy replied. "He is evil."

"Okay, so what's the plan to stop it?" Gaige asked.

Mari nodded to Carlos, who made the image on the monitors change into a drawing of a stone. "Dr. Facilier?"

Facilier sighed. "The Stone of Order."

"Let me guess," Gil told them. "They're connected."

Mari nodded, shrugging. "Pretty much, yeah."

"The Stone of Order is the complete opposite of the Horn of Chaos," Facilier  explained. "It has the power of reality-warping things to where they should be, meaning order. The two objects are light and dark, yin and yang. You can't have the Horn of Chaos without something of order to stop it."

Harry rolled his eyes "What is this, a history lesson?"

"Harry," Izzy said.

"Do you ever not complain?" Celia asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Celia," Harry told her sarcastically. "What's the point of you being here facing the life and death situations? Shouldn't you be learning to count or something kindergartens do? I don't know."

Celia scoffed, giving him a slight glare. "How old do you think I am?"

Harry shrugged. "Younger than us."

Jay gave Harry an annoyed look. "Knock it off."

Yeva took Celia's hand, pulling her closer to her, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Celia, listen to me. When Harry does that, it's just best to ignore him. Okay?"

Celia nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"Hilarious, Yeva," Harry told her sarcastically. "You got used to ignoring me in the past."

Yeva smirked sarcastically. "Yeah, I did, Hook."

"How do we get that stone?" Ben asked.

"Simple," Mari told them. "We travel to... Carlos?"

Carlos showed them an image of the Caribbean islands.

Evie became very excited. "Oh, my God, is that a Caribbean Paradise?"

Ara smiled at her reaction. "Yeah, it is."

"Hold up," Uma told them. "Why would we go there?"

"Well, the reason why the horn wasn't in Pandora's Box with the rest of the artifacts is because according to the books, the stone fell from the sky and created an island with a group of temples around it, as a means to protect itself," Bane explained.

"So do we have a map for this place?" Anthony asked.

"Not in the books," Bane answered.

Carlos checked online. "There's no map online either. Just checked."

"But if we go there, we can definitely figure our way around that,' Mari told them.

"Mari is right," Ben agreed. "Something as simple as a map won't stop us."

Gaige smirked. "It's gonna take a hell of a lot more to stop us."

"Bigger things have tried and failed," River agreed.

Gil smiled. "All right, we're all on board."

Izzy sighed. "Let's do it. Let's go to that island and get the stone so we can stop Azari before he even activates the horn."

"Let's go by boat," Harry suggested.

"That's an idea," Bane told him.

"Thank you," Harry stated.

"So bad that only you would have, Hooky," Bane finished.

Harry reached for his hook. "I hate you so much."

Izzy caught Harry's hook by the curve. "Now, now, boys."

Harry sighed, giving Izzy a look as if to ask, 'seriously?' "Can't I just hook him once?"

"No," Izzy answered, giving Harry a look, a bit amused.

Bane smiled.

"I think Bane means it's that boat would take too long," Ben pointed out. "We can take one of our royal jets. We'll be there and in no time."

Yeva nodded. "Good idea."

"Let's do it," Jay agreed.

"Guys, wait," Evie told them. "We can't go without Mal and Malia."

"We don't have time to sit and stay," Gaige replied. "That's Ben, Anthony and Bane's job as beasty boys, anyway."

"You're so very funny, Gaige," Anthony told him sarcastically.

Gaige smirked.

"Where are Mal and Malia?" Ara asked.

Malia and Mal walked in with Hades. Hades stood next to Facilier.

"Right here," Mal answered.

"Hades?" Uma asked.

"Hello, everyone," Hades told them.

"What are you doing here?" Facilier asked.

"Same reason you are," Hades answered.

River scoffed. "What is this, bring your dad to work day? Facilier here for Yeva and Celia and Hades here for Mal and Malia."

"What's going on?" Gil asked.

"We have a lot to tell you guys," Malia told them.

"More like, our father has a lot to tell," Mal corrected.

Malia rolled her eyes, sighing. "Fine, our father has a lot to tell you."

"And you can help me with some of the explaining, can't you, Facilier?" Hades asked knowingly.

Facilier sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Dad?" Celia asked.

"What is he talking about?" Yeva asked.

"I didn't tell you before because I wanted to keep you two safe," Facilier explained. "But it looks like we're not gonna have a choice about this anymore."

"Okay," Carlos agreed. "What's going on?"

"Malia's and my dad knows Azari," Mal explained.

Everyone looked at him in shock.

"Dad explained to me and Mal, and now he's gonna explain everything to us," Malia told them.

Hades sighed, sitting down. "Guess I am. Okay, look. The first time that something happened like this was a thousand years ago. It was before all of the kingdoms themselves. The other gods realized that sacred artifacts and magical weapons like the ones that are appearing, like Pandora's Box, needed to be protected, so they would gift a being every 500 years, tasked with being the Guardian, the protector of the magical items."

"Guardian," Ben repeated. "That's what Azari called Bane. Azari thinks that Bane is the Guardian now?"

Hades shrugged. "Well, you guys did say that he was gaining new abilities. With Pandora's Box opened, it's no wonder why he's been called on to be the next Guardian. And it's no wonder why it's him, since he was drawn to magic and even had help from Mari to build a magic school. Of course, he would be the next Guardian. Anyway, a thousand years ago, the Guardian was the one that created the containment to put Azari down, because he was out of control, but he couldn't do it alone, because of what Azari is and how powerful he can be. A voodoo queen back then. And you wanna explain this next part, Facilier?"

Facilier sighed. "The voodoo queen back then was from my line. From Yeva and Celia's line. Real voodoo royalty. She created the seal in the containment to make it stronger. But the Guardian and the voodoo queen weren't strong enough to put Azari there themselves."

Hades shook his head in agreement. "Nope. Not by a long shot. The Guardian, like Bane, and the voodoo queen, like your Yeva and Celia, enlisted the help of a group of demigods and demigoddesses, like Mal, Malia, Ara, Mari, Uma and River, to help them put Azari there, to weaken him long enough for the Guardian to recite the spell and activate the containment, and for the voodoo queen to activate her seal to keep him there."

"So that's why Azari hates our group," Anthony realized. "Because Bane is the next Guardian, Yeva and Celia are from the voodoo queen's line, Facilier's line, and Mal, Malia, Ara, Mari, Uma and River, being demigoddesses, are the only ones that can do the same thing that they did a thousand years ago to put Azari again."

Hades nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Mal, Malia, I should give your husbands more credit. Anthony and Ben are a lot smarter than I gave them credit for."

Mal and Malia rolled their eyes. "Dad."

Everyone smirked.

"Dad, how do you know this?" Yeva asked.

"Because the voodoo queen passed the stories down of what she helped the others did down through the generations, because she knew that there could come a time when the spell keeping Azari trapped would eventually fail, and she wanted her bloodline to be prepared to lock him away again no matter the cost," Facilier answered. "Now, Yeva, I never had the chance to tell you because you were always with Yzma, who didn't want you to know about me or Celia, and I sure as hell wasn't going to tell her about this until she was ready."

"So you're saying now that we're ready?" Celia asked.

"I'm saying that eventually, all of us might have to be," Facilier answered. "Even if we don't want to be or like it."

They all nodded in agreement and understanding.

Izzy looked at Hades. "You said 'what Azari is'. What is he?"

"He's another god, but a very different kind," Hades answered. "He's a shadow demon god hybrid. If you've ever heard of the Chernabog shadow demon? That was Azari's father." Everyone looked at him in shock and horror. "Yeah. The Chernabog was pure evil, and his and his minions' actions were not committed in pursuit of any discernible goal, but just to wreak havoc and tyranny on all."

"Hades, how do you know all of this about Azari?" Bane asked.

Hades gave them a look. "Hello, I am a god. I was around back then, okay? Not to mention, my ex-wife, Persephone, the former goddess of the Underworld, who's name means to destroy or slay... was the mother of Azari." Again, everyone was mind blown. "Yeah. So, shadow demon Chernabog for Azari's father, and goddess of the Underworld for his mother. Making him one of the darkest and evilest creatures out there. And being that he's the son of my ex-wife, Azari and I used to butt heads a lot, always to prove who was stronger, even when he was my stepson. And I wanted the battle as the Guardian, the voodoo queen and the demigods locked him away."

"But like I said, the voodoo queen kept the story told and passed down through the generations, because she knew that over time, during the villains' time, the seal would start to fail, all these years later, allowing Azari to get free, so he was able to meet the other villains, including me at one point," Facilier went on, causing everyone to look at him in shock again. "All of your parents, really. Queen of Hearts, Yzma, Maleficent, Evil Queen, Cruella, Jafar, James Hook, Gaston, Ursula, me. We all knew Azari. But we didn't know his backstory, not like Hades did. Azari liked his secrets. But because of the original voodoo queen passing the story down through the generations, I knew what to do and how to stop Azari when he got to be too out of control again. When he tried rule over all of us, both me and Hades, and all of your parents. So we all banded together to stand up against Azari. Hades and Ursula were both full gods, and Maleficent was a dark Fae, fairy. We didn't need any more demigods. Especially not when Queen of Hearts, who would never tell anyone her real name not even her closet friends, had her scepter charmed with good magic that could be used in a place where only evil magic didn't work. James, Gaston, Jafar, Cruella, Evil Queen, even they were helpful, along with sidekicks like Jasper and Horace, Mr. Smee, Iago the bird even helping with distracting. Queen of Hearts was the most hesitant though. She let Evil Queen use her scepter instead of helping us herself. And we had to go through a voodoo battle with Azari, since voodoo is a ritual of the soul, and not like any other magic, and we could find loopholes in the barrier's spell to try and trap Azari again, even without a Guardian to help us, to steal him, trapping him again on the Isle of the Doomed once it was made, since that island is for objects and weapons. It was relatively easier to defeat Azari on the Isle since he couldn't use his evil magic powers. And we had no idea where else to put him other than that island to keep him away from everyone else on the Isle. This was at least a couple years after the Isle was made, before any of you were born, or at the very least right before you were born."

"And I'm guessing that since Yeva broke down the barrier, Azari would have managed to break free, and you know the rest, since now here we are," Hades told them.

In shock, everyone was trying to process everything.

"Hang on, are you saying that when I broke the barrier to let everyone off the Isle, I let Azari out?" Yeva asked.

"You're the only one that could've have broken the seal on the containment spell because of your bloodline," Hades answered.

"Way to go, Yeva," Gaige told her sarcastically to try to make a joke.

"Shut up, Gaige," Yeva replied. "I was trying to save everyone on the Isle. I sure as hell didn't know about Azari or that I would be releasing a shadow demon god."

"Yeva, it wasn't your fault," Facilier told her. "You couldn't have known what would've happened. And you were just trying to save your friends, and make a family with me and Celia."

Celia embraced Yeva. "Yeah, Yeva. No one blames you. You didn't know."

Everyone shook their heads to tell Yeva that they didn't blame her either. Yeva sighed in relief to know this.

"That is a very interesting story but very boring history lesson," Harry told them. Celia rolled her eyes, turning to Yeva, who smirked. "But that explains his issue with Bane, Yeva, Celia, Ara, Mari, Mal, Malia, Uma and River. But why did he single out Izzy?"

"What do you mean?" Hades asked.

"He said goodbye to Izzy and said that Harry didn't have to protect her from him before he disappeared," River explained.

"And Izzy said that she heard his voice before calling out to her when she felt the box being opened," Uma added.

Hades shook his head in confusion. "That I don't know. I don't know of any ties that Azari could have with your Izzy. Sorry."

Izzy sighed, crossing her arms. "That's fine, I guess. Not really, but you gave us a lot of answers today. Even if you didn't give us all of them."

"Dad, Hades, without you two, we wouldn't have any answers, so thank you, I guess," Yeva told them.

Evie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, thanks."

"So does this mean that Yeva, Celia, Mal, Malia, Ara, Mari, Bane, Uma and River are gonna have to band together and contain Azari like previous times with groups like them?" Jay asked.

"Looks like it," Carlos answered.

Bane sighed. "Explains why I keep getting visions of Azari and the artifacts."

"And why Yeva, Celia and Bane could feel what Azari was doing," Ara added. "But we don't know why Izzy could feel it too."

"Or why Azari was reaching out to Izzy, but we can figure that out, too," Mari added.

"Yeah, I guess," Uma agreed. "But how the hell are we supposed to lock up the son of Chernabog and the Queen of the Underworld?"

"Former queen," Hades corrected.

River rolled his eyes. "Former queen, current queen, whatever. We don't care about your ex-wife. We care about how the hell we can stop Azari without getting anyone hurt or killed."

"Well, we can do what our parents did," Gaige answered. "I mean, unlike the first Guardian, voodoo queen and demigods, our parents did it together. All of ours. Facilier wasn't alone. Neither will Bane, Yeva and Celia, or River, Uma, Ara, Mari, Mal and Malia."

Gil nodded in agreement. "Gaige's right. You guys have all of us, too. Izzy, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben, Anthony, Gaige, Harry and me. If our parents could stop Azari before, even in the Isle, then we can stop him now."

"The only difference now is that Azari is no longer on the Isle which stops him from using his power," Facilier told them. "It could be a lot harder. It will be a lot harder."

"Well, then I'm sure you and Hades can help because of your daughters having to be involved in this, Facilier," Gil replied. "You two stopped Azari before with the rest of our parents besides Izzy's mom. We can all do it together now."

Celia nodded nervously. "Thanks, guys."

Izzy sighed, clapping her hands together. "All right. Now that we have a lot more answers than we did before about who Azari is and what we can do to stop him, how about we get heading to the islands so that we can track down that Stone of Order and save Auradon before the villain tries to destroy it... again?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, as the group headed out together. Hades and Facilier smirked, impressed and somewhat proud, nodding in respect.

-----

Caribbean Islands

Everyone, after first flying to the Caribbean islands, were getting off the plane, looking around in awe.

"Oh, my God," Evie squealed in excitement. "This is so amazing. I always thought that I would be able to come to amazing islands like this, but never in a situation such as the one we are in right now."

"Evie, can we focus?" Malia asked. "I mean, we don't have a lot of time before Azari gets here to destroy the Stone of Order so we can't stop him from using the Horn of Chaos."

"Malia's right, Evie," Mal told her. "We have to stay laser sharp focused."

They all noticed that the group was starting to split up.

"Hey," Jay told them. "Where is everyone going?"

"Well, I would like to go snorkeling," Bane mused. "It's awesome to swim with mermaids like Ara and Mari."

"I'd love to see the ruins," Ben added. "The most important battles of the first wars were fought there."

Izzy shook her head. "I don't know, but I would like to get out of here and do some sightseeing, too."

"No, no, no," Ara told them. "We're all here on a mission, remember? The temple has the Stone of Order, and we need to find it together."

"Ara's right," Carlos agreed. "We should be doing this together."

"All of us?" River asked skeptically. "Traveling together? In a cramped little temple where we would find the cave with the stone?"

Anthony nodded. "So we're all in agreement."

Gaige, River, Harry and Izzy groaned.

"Guys, don't whine," Mari told them. "We're not here for sightseeing or fun things. We're here to save Auradon again."

Uma sighed. "I guess, but we would all like to have fun at some point."

"Yeah, you know what the problem is with you lot?" Harry asked. "You don't know how to make your own fun."

Celia looked around. "Yeah. I mean, it is so pretty here. We could have such an awesome time."

Gil saw some food, running over to try some. "Ooh, food."

Gaige sighed. "Gil, get back here. Like they said, we have a job to do. Even though most of us would like to have some fun, me included, we have to do that later."

Gil walked back, eating. "Sorry, Gaige."

Yeva looked around. "All right, we can try to find a map with the directions that we need, but we should split up and look for the temple either way."

Bane raised his hand. "I think I know where to find a map."

"You better," Mal told them. "We don't have time for waiting around."

"But you know what?" Malia asked. "As someone who has been dying for some recently, I do wanna have some fun, too."

"Didn't we just say that we don't have time for that?" Evie asked.

"Guys, come on," Izzy told them. "You know what fun we could always have, no matter where we are or what time we have?"

Yeva looked at Izzy, smiling, nodding. "Our songs."

Everyone murmured an agreement.

"Yeah, I guess so," Jay agreed.

Carlos smiled. "Come on. We should do something to remind us that everything is not always gonna be so dark and twisted all the time."

"And like we keep saying, we all need to keep living our lives," Ben added.

Anthony nodded. "And how would we be living our lives without a little song?"

Ara smiled. "I told you guys. About living our lives."

Mari wrapped her arm around Ara, smiling, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder. "Yeah, older sister Queen Ara is probably wisest out of us, aside from Bane and Anthony."

"Show the sisterly/friendly/loverly love later, Mari," Uma told her. "Same for you, Ara. We all need to release some steam."

River shrugged, smirking. "A song doesn't sound too bad."

"And could pass the time while we try to find the map that can lead us to the temple." Gaige added.

"We're running out of time and we still want it all," Harry joked.

"Well, our songs are the way of lighting things up around here," Gil pointed out.

Celia smiled. "And if we're gonna prove to Azari that he can't make us stop living our lives, we can literally burn him like that. And no one can be just like us when we do this."

"All right, come on, split up," Bane told them. "We got things to do."

They all started to go through the Caribbean paradise to try and find the map, all having fun while doing a little song, but without much dancing since they were in a hurry.

Ara smirked. "I know that I'm running out of time / I want it all / Mm, mm."

Yeva nodded to the beat. "And I'm wishing they'd stop tryna turn me off / I want it on / Mm, mm."

Mal held out her hands, stepping in a pattern like on a wire. "And I'm walking on a wire / Trying to go higher / Feels like I'm surrounded by clowns and liars."

Malia smiled, shaking her head. "Even when I get it all the way / I want it all / Mm, mm."

Evie did a little dance like from One Kiss, smiling. "We can get 'em running / Running / We can get 'em running / Running."

Mari was dancing a bit, smiling. "Just like fire / Burning up the way / If I can light the world up for just one day."

Izzy held her head, rotating her head like insanity. "Watch this madness / Colorful charade / No one can be just like me any way."

Uma held her hands over her head, doing a little swaying. "Just like magic / I'll be flying free / I'mma disappear when they come for me."

River threw her arms up then down, smirking. "I kick that ceiling / What you gonna say? / No one can be just like me anyway."

The girls sang together. "Just like fire / Uh / Oh, yeah / Just like fire, fire."

Jay did a couple flips, landing, holding out his arms, smirking. "And people like to laugh at you / 'Cause they are all the same / Mm, mm."

Carlos ran up to a tree stump, kicking out his leg, spinning around, jumping down. "See, I would rather we just go our different way / Than play the game / Mm, mm."

Gaige ran up a tree to do a flip, landing, backflipping into a push up position, jumping up to his feet. "And no matter the weather / We can do it better / You and me together forever and ever."

Ben smiled, raising his arms in the air. "We don't have to worry about a thing / About a thing, no / Mm, mm."

Gil stepped side to side, acting like he was running. "We can get 'em running / Running / We can get 'em running / Running."

Bane did a spin, holding out his arms. "Just like fire / Burning up the way / If I can light the world up for just one day."

Harry held his head in his hands, throwing his arms down, jumping up, smiling a creepy smile for effect on the song. "Watch this madness / Colorful charade / No one can be just like me any way."

Anthony laughed. "Just like magic / I'll be flying free / I'mma disappear when they come for me."

Celia did a little spin, flipping her hat through the air, catching it as it fell back toward her, putting it on her head. "I kick that ceiling / What you gonna say? / No one can be just like me anyway."

The boys sang together. "Just like fire / Uh / Oh, yeah / Just like fire, fire."

Izzy started the slow rap part. "So I can get it running / Just 'cause nobody's done it."

Yeva smiled. "Y'all don't think I can run it / But look, I've been here, I've done it."

Mal scoffed, making a dismissive hand signal. "Impossible? / Please, watch, I do it with ease."

Malia laughed, spinning around. "You just gotta believe / Come on, come on with me."

The girls sang, "Oh, what you gonna do?"

The boys rapped, "What, what?"

The girls sang, "Oh, what you gonna do?"

The boys rapped, "What, what?"

The girls sang, "Oh, what you gonna do?"

The boys rapped, "What, what?"

The girls sang, "Oh, what you gonna do?"

The boys rapped, "What, what?"

Ara sang the soft part next. "Just like fire / Burning out the way / If I can light the world up for just one day."

Mari sang the soft part. "Watch this madness / Colorful charade."

They all sang together, no longer soft part. "No one can be just like me any way!"

Evie smiled, dancing. "Just like fire / Burning out the way / If I can light the world up for just one day."

Uma tilted her head back and forth. "Watch this madness / Colorful charade / No one can be just like me anyway."

River did a little dance. "Just like magic / I'll be flying free / I'mma disappear when they come for me."

Celia did a kick in the air, making punching motions. "I kick that ceiling / What you gonna say? / No one can be just like me anyway."

Jay did another flip, doing a little bow. "Just like fire / Uh / Oh, yeah / Just like fire, fire."

Carlos did the chanting, rapping. "We can get 'em running / Running."

Harry did the chanting, rapping. "We can get 'em running / Running."

Gil smiled, wrapping his arm around Gaige's shoulders in a brotherly hug. "Just like fire, fire."

Gaige nodded, doing the chanting, rapping. "We can get 'em running / Running."

Bane did a high five and a hug with Ben and Anthony. "Just like fire, fire, fire."

Anthony did the chanting, rapping. "We can get 'em running / Running."

Ben ended the song, everyone smiling. "Just like fire!"

On her own, her eyes glowing red, Izzy cast a spell that could lead her to the map, finding it, smiling, grabbing the map, holding it up. "Yes. Found you." She ran back to find the others. "Guys!"

Everyone met up again.

"Izzy found the map," Harry explained.

"Awesome," Ben told them. "Good job, Izzy."

Mal took the map from Izzy to try and read it, but she couldn't. "There's all this writing, but it doesn't even make sense."

Yeva took the map to read it. "That's because it's in French Creole. It's a voodoo language. Also, witches in New Orleans know it very well."

Interested by that, Celia walked closer to look at the map from next to Yeva.

"You can read this?" Carlos asked in surprise.

"We both can," Celia answered.

"Great," Anthony told them. "Yeva and Celia, the two voodoo Facilier princesses can read the map then."

"Is it the real map?" Evie asked.

"I don't know if it's fake or not, but right now, it's the only thing that we got that can even help us find it," Malia pointed out.

Jay nodded. "All right, people, let's move. There's not a lot of time."

"Okay," Ara agreed. "Do you guys know where to go first?"

Yeva and Celia nodded.

"Great," Mari told them. "Let's go."

Everyone started to walk off.

River tilted her head, doing a little singsong voice to the rhythm of 'off to see the wizard' with different words. "We're off on another mission. A dangerous mission to save Auradon."

Uma smirked. "Right. Wow, River."

Everyone laughed.

-----

Temples

The group traveled through the desert to get to the temples on the island they were supposed to go to get the stone.

"All right, we're here," Gil told them. "Which way now?"

"How do we even know that we're heading the right direction and this map isn't totally bogus?" Harry asked, causing everyone to roll their eyes and groan.

"Broken record, Harry," Gaige told him.

"Can we just show a little positivity?" Ara asked.

"I am positive, that we could very well be walking into a trap," Harry replied.

"It doesn't matter if we're walking into a trap," Mari told them. "Together? Nothing can stop us."

"Mari's right," Izzy agreed. "We stopped many threats together before. And we can do it again now."

Uma sighed. "Whatever. Which way?"

Yeva looked at the map. "It says the path will only reveal itself to those pure of heart."

Evie nodded. "So Ara, Mari, Bane, Anthony and Ben, obviously."

"Normally, I'd object, but even I can't make that argument," Jay told them.

River rolled her eyes. "Why can't we just cast a spell to reveal the path for us?"

"Because the map says that that won't work," Celia answered.

"But go ahead, give it a try," Gaige told them sarcastically.

Gil smiled. "Yeah."

Mal held out her hands, letting her eyes glow green. "Show me the way. Open up. Reveal the path."

When nothing happened, Malia held out her hands, letting her eyes glow green. "Show me the way. Open up. Reveal the path."

Still nothing happened.

"Like Yeva and Celia said," Carlos told them. "It has to be by pure of heart, not spells."

Ben sighed. "All right. So what do we have to do?"

Anthony found a statue. "I think we're supposed to put hands on this."

Ben, Anthony and Bane put their hands on the statue.

"It's not working," Bane told them.

"I think they were right about Ara and Mari helping us, too," Ben told them.

Ara and Mari walked closer, putting their hands on the statue as well, next to Ben, Anthony and Bane's. The path magically opened up, pulling aside the forest around the opening to allow them in.

Mari smiled. "We did it! That was easy."

Mal smirked. "Looks like Evie was right."

Evie smiled. "Of course I was."

"Good job, Evie," Malia told her.

Izzy chuckled. "Let's go."

"Yes," Jay agreed. "Onward."

They all started to walk through the path.

Carlos's jacket got caught on a tree, getting stuck for a moment. "I'm..." He ripped the jacket from the tree so he could get free, running after the others. "Hold on."

Yeva was leading the way, but stopped. "The map kind of ends here. It says we have to find the temple and the cave inside."

"A cave?" River asked sarcastically. "In the middle of cliffs and temples? Well, that really narrows it down, doesn't it?"

"How are we supposed to find it if the map ends and we have no idea where to go?" Uma asked.

Celia looked at the map. "It says the one who knows the least shall lead the way."

Everyone looked at each other.

Gaige pointed at his brother. "Gil." Gil looked at him. "Sorry. It was a reflex."

Gil smiled. "No, it's okay. I was about to say me, too. No issue, Gaige."

"So what?" Anthony asked. "Gil just walks of wondering around until we find the temple and the cave?"

Gil looked around, walking off. No one noticed yet.

"They didn't say," Bane told them. "I guess so. We just have to see where Gil goes."

"How would Gil even know where to go?" Ben asked.

Ara looked around, seeing Gil walking off toward a temple. "Guys. I think Gil already found the right temple."

Everyone followed Gil to the temple.

"Gil?" Gaige asked. "You sure this is the right one?"

Gil nodded. "I think so, yeah." He turned to face the others, smiling. "You know, I never got to lead anyone anywhere before, Gaige. I kinda like being the leader."

"All right," Izzy told them. "If this is the temple, how do we get in?"

"No special opening or anything?" River asked. "No test we have to pass?"

"No," Yeva answered. "The map just said to go right in."

"Oh, great," Mal told them sarcastically. "Just to find the path, the pure of heart had to open the path, being Ara, Mari, Ben, Anthony and Bane."

"And then Gil had to lead us here," Malia agreed. "The one who knew the least. So the path opens to Ara, Mari, Ben, Anthony and Bane because of being pure of heart, and Gil is able to find this place because of knowing the least."

"I think what Mal and Malia are trying to say is that just walking in seems way too easy," Evie told them.

"That's because it is," Celia answered. "The map also said that there would be traps inside."

Jay sighed. "Of course it did. And of course there's traps."

"Whatever," Carlos told them. "We don't have time to wait around. Come on."

They all walked inside.

"Do you guys have any light in here?" Anthony asked. "It's a cool temple and all, but we really need to see for us to succeed."

"Yeah, I got it," Bane answered, waving his scepter, creating light throughout the temple. "Let there be light."

They all laughed lightly in awe.

"That's a lot better," Ara told them.

"Hey, I've got a question," Harry told them. "Why couldn't I do anything to lead or help?"

"Uh, maybe because you can't read French Creole or you're not pure hearted, and you know more than Gil," Mari answered with her natural level of sass.

"Well, I know enough not to walk into a giant spider," Uma told them, pointing at Gil.

Gil realized that he had walked into a giant spider, screaming lightly. "Get it off me! Get it off! Get it off!"

Gaige took the spider off of Gil, throwing it away. "I got it."

Harry, Gaige, River, Uma, Izzy and Yeva were laughing a little.

Harry smiled. "That never gets old."

Gaige pointed at Gil, smirking. "You were screaming like a little girl." Celia saw a spider fall onto her shoulder, screaming, trying to thrash it off. Yeva cupped the spider in her hand to take it off of Celia to calm her down. Gaige nodded. "Like Celia."

Celia scoffed. "That doesn't count, Gaige. I actually am a little girl. I mean, not little little, but you get my point."

Yeva put the spider down, smiling slightly. "It's okay, Celia. We got it."

Uma smiled. "We'll never speak of this again. Agreed?"

"Agreed," everyone answered.

Ara looked around. "Yeah, this might actually take a little longer than I thought."

"You think?" Mari asked sarcastically.

Mal chuckled. "Come on. Let's go."

Malia nodded in agreement. "I think we're closer than what we think."

Evie looked down at her feet. "We better be. I cannot wait to sit down and relax. I should've changed out of my heels. My feet are killing me."

Izzy looked down at her heels. "Yeah, me too. So don't feel bad, Evie."

Evie and Izzy linked arms, smiling slightly.

Uma pointed ahead of them. "Guys. I think that's the cave."

River nodded in agreement. "All right. We're close. Can't give up now."

Slowly, one by one, everyone made their way inside the cave, which had no light.

"Guys, we can't see again," Anthony told them. "Any way to change that?"

Bane tried to do the light spell again. "No. My magic's not working."

Izzy, Yeva, Mal, Malia, Ara, Mari, Uma, River and Celia tried to use magic to no avail.

Yeva shook her head. "Mine's not working, either."

"Or mine," Mal added.

"Me neither," Malia agreed.

"Ara?" Carlos asked. "Mari?"

"No," Ara answered.

"Nothing," Mari agreed.

"River?" Gaige asked. "Uma?"

"Nope," Uma answered.

River shook her head. "Nada."

"I can't do magic either," Celia added.

"Isabella?" Harry asked. "Let me guess, you can't either."

"Nope," Izzy answered.

"The cave must be enchanted against magic, then," Ben told them.

Izzy pointed at Ben. "I like that enchanted excuse. I'm going to have to use that."

Celia smiled. "Me too. Enchanted."

"Some of us can wait here if you want," Evie told them.

"What, let you guys go alone?" Jay asked. "No, no, no. We're in this together."

"Okay," Carlos agreed. "You guys ready?"

"No," Gil answered. "But let's go."

"Well, we need all the luck we can get," Ben told them. "Watch out for the bats and the spiders and the scorpions and the snakes."

"Ben, we get it," Anthony told him.

Harry smirked. "See you, wouldn't wanna be you."

"Harry," Izzy said.

"Kidding," Harry sighed.

They all walked further into the cave.

"Do we even know that this is the right cave?" Bane asked.

The cave had numerous torches on the walls, which all flared up as they got further into the cave, filling the darkness with light.

Mari looked at Bane. "I'm going to go with yes, but that's just a hunch."

Bane nodded sarcastically. "Thank you."

Bats started to fly all around, making everyone duck.

Evie held her hands over her head. "This stone thing better help us stop the spell before it starts, or at the very least reverse it if we're too late to stop it, or else I just got bat poop in my hair for nothing."

"It's the Stone of Order, Evie," Yeva told her. "It can and will restore order."

"It can reverse any spell," Celia told them. "Show you the future. But you only get one chance at it."

"They should really put that in a warning label," River remarked.

"This is definitely the place," Mal told them, looking at all the stones on the floor. "But how are we going to find the stone? It could be any one of these."

Malia pointed to a glowing blue stone on a pedestal across the room. "I'm guessing it's that one."

Jay nodded. "Good guess."

They saw a booby trap in front of them where there were holes in the floor, stopping just in time to avoid falling to their deaths.

"Careful!" Ben told them.

"Well, someone should put up a railing or something," Gil told them. They all looked at him. "Seriously, it's dangerous."

"As dangerous as the things we go through every day?" Gaige asked.

Uma shrugged. "Good point."

Carlos looked at the beams on the floor that he could get across on. "Okay. I'll go."

Ara looked at him worriedly. "Carlos..."

"I agree, you go," Mari told him.

Carlos looked at Ara reassuringly. "I got this."

Carlos put a light foot on a beam, but it crumbled. Ara pulled Carlos back to safety.

Anthony pointed to a steadier looking beam. "Try this one."

Carlos nodded in agreement, balancing on the beam, making it across to the wall on the far edge of the room, while everyone watched him worriedly.

"Okay," Yeva told him. "Almost there."

Carlos looked down worriedly, nervously, becoming very anxious.

Mal shook her head. "Don't look down. Carlos, don't look down."

"Carlos, look up," Malia told him. "Look up, look up."

Carlos looked up, keeping his head high, climbing across the wall carefully.

"Hold on," Evie told him. "You got this, Carlos."

"Hold on to the torch thing, but not the hot part," Gil told him.

"Why would Carlos grab the hot part, Gil?" Jay asked.

Gil shrugged.

Carlos stepped on the beam on the wall wrong, making a piece of it crumble, but he got across to a safer point.

"Watch your foot, watch your foot," Ben told him.

Carlos made his way along, nearly falling as a piece fell through, grabbing onto the wall to keep up.

"Don't step on the crumbly parts," Bane told him.

"They're all crumbly parts," Uma replied.

"Carlos..." Ara trailed off worriedly.

River took Ara's hand to calm her down. "He's got it, he's got it."

Gaige nodded. "Watch it. Watch it."

"You got this, man," Anthony told him.

Carlos nearly reached the stone, when beams started to fall all around them, making everyone duck so that none of the beams hit them or hurt them or worse. One of the beams sent the stone flying off the pedestal.

Celia squealed in fear. "Yeva!"

Yeva covered Celia's head for protection. "Celia!"

Jay held onto both of them to pull them away from the edge to save them. "It's okay. It's okay."

Carlos nearly fell, holding onto to pedestal for dear life.

"Carlos!" Izzy told him worriedly.

"Carlos!" Ara called.

The Beast Brothers called out worriedly. "Carlos!"

"Hey, you okay, mate?" Harry asked.

"Carlos?" Mari asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good," Carlos answered. "I'm okay."

Anthony and Ben reached a beam to where they could try to reach Carlos.

"Come on, grab our hands," Ben told him. "We can get you back across."

Carlos slowly made his way back over to Ben and Anthony, reaching out for their hands.

"Come on," Gil told him. "You almost got it."

A fog was released from the ceiling of the cave, hitting Carlos, Ben and Anthony with such force that they were forced to fall from the beams into the hole.

Mal, Malia and Ara screamed the names of their loves worriedly, while Bane called for his brothers in horror. "Ben!" "Anthony!" "Carlos!"

The others reached down to grab Ben, Anthony and Carlos by the hands before they could fall to their deaths, pulling them back up, nearly making everyone fall, but they regained balance.

"We got you," Evie told them in relief. "Oh, my God. We got you."

"We're okay," Anthony told them. "I think."

Although nothing had happened at first when the fog hit Carlos, Ben and Anthony, now, slowly, they were all being covered with a thin layer of ooze or stone, causing everyone to watch in shock and horror and worry, but not being able to do anything about it.

"Oh, God," Uma said.

Mari tried to help but couldn't. "Oh, my God."

Ben, Anthony and Carlos were gasping as they were being covered completely, calling out for Malia, Mal, Ara and Bane.

River was completely stunned. "What the hell is going on?"

"How do we stop it?" Gaige asked.

Harry was in shock. "I don't think we can."

Izzy shook her head in denial. "No."

Mal, Malia, Bane and Ara were completely in shock, horrified and devastated to see Ben, Anthony and Carlos completely turned to stone. "No!"

But in what seemed to be like no time, the stone started to crack away from Ben, Anthony and Carlos little by little, slowly freeing them. Ben and Anthony's eyes were glowing blue/gold as they were breaking free. The stone exploded away from them, making everyone duck for cover for safety, covering each other protectively. Once the stone covering Ben, Anthony and Carlos was completely gone, everyone looked up in shock and awe and complete relief, but no one was more shocked than Ben, Anthony and Carlos.

"I can't believe you guys are okay," Mari told them. "Thank God."

"What the hell just happened?" Yeva asked.

Ben and Anthony embraced Malia, Mal and Bane in relief, while Carlos and Ara held each other close in shock, as they spoke over each other, saying their names in complete relief and happiness that the three boys were okay and that they survived.

"How the hell are you alive?" Jay asked. "Not that we're complaining, but what the hell happened to you guys?"

"I don't know," Evie told them. "But we have to get out of here soon. This place could come crashing down."

"Where's the stone?" Jay asked. "We can't leave here without the stone."

Uma saw the stone below in the hole on a weak part of one of the beams that were still standing. "I see it. How the hell do we get it though?"

Gaige took off his jacket, handing it to Gil. "I think I can reach it."

"Gaige, no!" River told him. "It's too dangerous."

"I have to try, River," Gaige told her. "We don't really have a choice here."

Gil was very worried for his brother. "Gaige..."

"It's okay," Celia told them. "We can just hold onto one of Gaige's arms to keep him from falling. Hopefully that can work, right?"

"Hopefully," Izzy agreed. "Gil, Harry, Jay, you're the strongest of us besides Gaige. Hold onto his arm so he doesn't fall."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Aye. We got that part, love."

Gaige carefully climbed down to the beam to reach the stone, while Gil, Harry and Jay held onto his arm to keep him from falling.

"Can you get it?" Yeva asked.

Evie saw that the temple was starting to shake completely, and debris was falling, knowing that it could collapse any second. "Guys, we can't stay here."

Mari looked down below. "Hold on. Gaige's almost got it."

"This place is gonna come down any second," Uma told them.

"I'm not leaving Gaige, Uma," River told her.

"River..." Uma trailed off.

Celia whispered worriedly, as she and Yeva held onto each other in a hug. "Come on, come on, come on."

Gaige could barely reach the stone, but he finally got it in his hand, calling up. "I got it! I got it."

Everyone else cheered.

Gil started to pull Gaige up with the help of Harry and Gil. "We got you, Gaige. We won't let you fall."

The place was shaking harder now, causing everyone to struggle to stay standing.

"Come on," Mal told them. "This place is coming down."

"Go, go, go!" Malia told them.

Everyone started to run as the temple starting to collapse.

"Let's go!" Ben told them.

Everyone ran out of the cave completely.

"Whoo," Carlos breathed in relief. "Can't believe we survived that."

"Yeah, some of us almost didn't," Anthony told them. "I don't know what happened, but we gotta get out of here."

Bane saw that the crumbling was reaching to the rest of the temple. "Uh, yeah, because not only the cave is coming apart. The rest of the temple is too."

"Run!" Ara told them. "Go, go, go!"

Everyone ran down the temple corridors to get through the maze like hallways toward the exit of the cave as the floor was crumbling behind them, and finally, they all reached outside, running away from the tumbling temple before it came crashing down, turning to watch as it was destroyed completely.

"We did it," Jay told them. Everyone cheered, embracing and laughing happily in relief. "We made it!"

Mari smiled. "Oh, we made it."

"That was a damn near close call," Uma told them.

River was hugging Gaige, as he held her in return. "Way too freaking close."

Harry smirked. "I told you it was a trap."

"Shut up, Harry," Gil told him.

Yeva pointed at Harry. "Yeah, and we also told you that this was real and that we were on the right track."

Celia laughed. "Yeah. Ha ha."

Izzy sighed in complete relief. "Guys, we got the stone. Carlos, Ben, Anthony and Gaige are okay. That's what I call a win."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Evie smiled. "It's not too late. We can fix everything."

Azari appeared to everyone. "Not quite."

They all glared at him.

"Azari," Evie breathed.

Azari smirked. "Well, at least you all remembered my name and knew that much about me."

"We know a lot more about you now," Anthony told him.

"Hades and Facilier told us everything," Ben told him.

"Everything?" Azari repeated skeptically.

"About the first Guardians, the voodoo queens and the demigods locking you away," Ara answered. "How Facilier, Hades and the rest of the VKs parents besides Izzy's mom Queen of Hearts helped lock you away the second time."

"And how you're a shadow demon god," Mari added.

"Well, at least my former stepfather and the voodoo witch doctor told you most of what you needed to know, but they don't know everything, trust me," Azari told them.

"We don't need to know everything to know that we can't let you win," Uma replied.

"Oh, you think you can stop me?" Azari asked in amusement.

"I think that we have to try," River answered. "And every time, we always win, so you're no different."

Azari smirked. "You're about to see how very different I really am. I imagine right now, you're all going to be rather cross with me. You should know I have my reasons for why I do what I do."

"And maybe we should hear them, but right now, I'd rather rip your heart out," Izzy told him.

Azari smirked, starting to smile. "Such an answer like your mother Queen of Hearts, Isabella. She really taught you to be a brilliant heart breaker like she was at head taking, isn't that right?"

They all looked at Azari in suspicion, wondering how he would know that much about Isa and wondering why he was paying attention to that about Izzy.

"We're not letting you use the Horn of Chaos," Yeva told him.

"Well, sadly, you won't have a choice once I destroy the Stone of Chaos, will you, Facilier voodoo princess?" Azari replied. "You and Celia, as of right now, Yeva... don't stand a chance."

Yeva shot a voodoo energy beam at Azari the same time Celia manipulated shadow to form and shoot into Azari as well, the energy beam and the shadow bullet combining into a much stronger and fiercer weapon, sending him flying back.

Celia tilted her head smugly. "You were saying?"

Azari looked up from the ground, not hurt in the least, but very amused, smirking, impressed. "So I might have underestimated you."

"Yeah, everyone who made the mistake of Yeva and Izzy, present company included, lived to regret it," Gaige told him.

"Same could be said about underestimating everyone here," Harry added.

Azari chuckled. "I think you and Gaige are right about that, Harry Hook." He stood, making explosions with his magic to distract them. "Boom."

Azari sent magic hurling at the group, making everyone duck as they struggled not to be hurt or worse by Azari.

Anthony and Ben were becoming overwhelmed with anger, breathing heavily, feeling more anger than ever before after what happened to them in the temple's cave, and also because of their overwhelming desire to protect the ones they loved, soon starting to transform into beastly forms that were much more threatening but beautiful that the beastly forms that Audrey had cursed them with before, roaring, their eyes glowing blue/gold. Everyone looked at them in shock.

"Anthony?" Mal asked in shock.

"Ben?" Malia asked.

"What the hell happened to my brothers?" Bane asked.

Azari smirked. "Hmm, let me guess. They got hit with the fog in the cave, didn't they? Anyone else?"

They didn't answer, glaring at Azari.

"Why the hell should we tell you?" Jay asked.

"Because getting hit by that fog, getting covered in stone, that's what did this to your precious Ben and Anthony," Azari answered. "Giving them the powers that would fit them most. Has to make you wonder what that fog and stone did to any one else if they got hit. Anyone?"

Gil became very nervous and worried and concerned, accidentally slipping up. "Carlos..."

The others gave him a look.

"Gil, shut up," Gaige told him.

Azari laughed. "So Carlos was also effected, huh? What power do you think that the animal lover could have gotten? Not that matters when some of you could get wiped out in my getting to that stone."

Beast!Ben and Beast!Anthony roared angrily in protective rage, losing control, running at Azari to tackle him and attack him. Azari struggled to keep them from clawing into him, using his power to throw them away into the group, making them fall. He stood, smirking evilly as he was soon covered with red/black smoke as he transformed into a black Chernabog monster form, releasing a devastating roar that caused everyone so much pain. They all looked at him in shock. Mal and Malia let their eyes glow green, and in swirls of purple smoke, transformed into their Dragon forms, roaring at Azari in shock. Chernabog!Azari shot shadows at the Dragon sisters, who both narrowly avoided by flying out of the way, hurling fire at Chernabog!Azari, who also narrowly avoided by flying out of the way. Taking advantage of the distraction, Izzy (red glowing eyes), Yeva and Celia (purple glowing eyes), Ara, Mari, Uma, River and Bane were shooting magic at Chernabog!Azari, while Bane was using his scepter, and his eyes were glowing blue/gold, and while Ara, Mari, Uma and River's sea jewelry were glowing turqouise, sending the Chernabog!Azari flying to the ground. Beast!Ben and Beast!Anthony ran to attack the Chernabog!Azari, who could stand a better chance while in his Chernabog form, clawing into them deeply, making them roar in pain, using magic to throw him to the ground. Carlos, Jay, Gaige, Harry and Gil pulled the two beasts away from Chernabog!Azari quickly to save their lives. Cherabog!Azari used magic that caused Dragon!Mal and Dragon!Malia to freeze midflight, making them transform back to human with swirls of purple smoke, letting them fall toward the ground, much to everyone's horror. Gaige and Gil, being the strongest, were able to catch Mal and Malia before they could hit the ground and be hurt, placing them down. Azari, with a wave of red/black smoke, returned human, smirking.

Gaige punched Azari in the face, which only made him smirk in amusement.

"We're not gonna let you break the stone," Mal told him.

Azari noticed that Evie was the one hiding the stone, appearing next to her. "Hello, Evie."

Evie turned to try run and keep the stone away from Azari. "No!"

Azari caught Evie's arm before she could get away or hide the stone or pass it on, throwing Evie's arm down so that she would be forced to drop the stone to the ground. "You won't really have a choice." They all tried to stop him, but Azari stomped on the Stone of Order, making it shatter with a burst of power. Everyone looked at each other in shock and defeat, in denial. Azari laughed. "Good luck trying to stop the Horn of Chaos without that stone. You have a lot of fear looking ahead for you."

"We don't have to be afraid of you," Yeva told him.

Azari smirked. "Oh, you do. You really do. Shh, shh, shh. I should really thank you for the trip to paradise, Yeva Facilier. Literally. If you hadn't lowered the barrier, I never would've gotten out." Yeva glared at him, clearly looking guilty. Azari laughed crazily. "You and Isabella, Princess of Hearts/Diamonds, daughter of Queen of Hearts, spent so long trying to save everyone in the Isle, that you didn't know that in bringing down the barrier, you would be letting everyone's worst nightmare out, and it all ties to all of you. How ironic is that? I'm gonna make all of you pay for everything that the former Guardian, voodoo queen and the demigods did, and all of your parents. You're all going to suffer for it."

Jay picked up a board to hit Azari over his head to make him back away from the others. "Not today."

Azari smiled. "Ooh, you don't play by rules either, huh? But, Jay, I don't want there to be any hard feelings between any of us. That's a total lie. I do." Azari turned toward Izzy. "Well, in some cases I do. Some I don't. Like you, Isabella."

"Don't call me Isabella," Izzy told him angrily.

Azari smirked. "Soon enough, you'll get used to me calling you Isabella. Like you did with Isa and Harry Hook."

"Isa?" Harry repeated. "Who the hell is Isa?"

Izzy was stunned that Azari knew her mother's real name. "Isa's my mother."

Everyone looked at Azari, breathing heavily.

"How do you know Izzy's mother's... Queen of Hearts is real name is Isa when no one else does?" Malia asked.

Azari laughed, holding out his arms, making a little bow. "Wouldn't you all like to know?" Izzy, annoyed, angry and overwhelmed with confusion, used magic to cause Azari a lot of pain, which only caused Azari to smirk insanely, almost proudly, and laugh maniacally. "That's the spirit, Izzy." Beast!Anthony and Beast!Ben, still losing control in their animal forms, jumped Azari from behind, tearing into him with their claws, while Izzy, Yeva, Celia, Mal, Malia, Ara, Mari, Uma, River and Bane used their power to throw Azari away from them. Azari smiled. "Good luck with getting Ben and Anthony under control. I'll see you all again very soon. It would probably take you all a while to get back to Auradon though, long enough for me to ring the Horn of Chaos. Tick tock."

Azari held out his arms, disappearing in a whirl of red/black smoke, flying away. Everyone watched him go, stunned.

Beast!Anthony and Beast!Ben were still losing control however, and since they couldn't focus their beastly rage on Azari, it started to grow more dangerous and threatening to everyone around them, the ones they cared about, which everyone noticed and was very nervous about.

"Ben..." Bane trailed off. "Anthony, come on."

"Look, both of you and Bane went through this before, okay?" Mari asked. "And Jay, Carlos, Harry, Gaige and Gil helped you. Anthony, Ben, please."

Beast!Anthony roared, lunging for Gaige.

Gil and River pulled Gaige back. "Gaige!"

River used magic to slam Beast!Anthony into a tree to try and make him stop.

Beast!Ben ran to attack Izzy and Harry, who both narrowly avoided being attacked. Harry, Gaige, Gil and Jay flipped Beast!Ben over a log on the ground, making him roll away.

Beast!Anthony growled, roaring, going to attack Carlos.

Ara pulled him back. "Carlos!"

"Watch out!" Uma told them.

Everyone faced off with Beast!Ben and Beast!Anthony.

"How did you guys get through to them before?" Celia asked worriedly, a little scared.

"Jay told Carlos to get through to them because he was good with animals," Gaige answered.

"Yeah, and that Jane lass sprayed them with Enchanted Lake water to make them change back," Harry added.

"Well, we're out of luck on the Enchanted Lake water part," Yeva told them.

"So what do we do?" Evie asked.

Mal slowly stepped forward. "Anthony?"

Malia hesitantly stepped forward. "Ben, hey. It's us. Mal and Malia."

Beast!Anthony and Beast!Ben swiped at them, making everyone duck and jump.

"Whoa, Ben!" Bane told him. "Anthony! It's Mal and Malia, all right? Your wives. It's me, Bane. Your brother."

Carlos slowly, hesitantly stepped closer carefully. "Ben, Anthony, I helped you two and Bane before with the Beast issue. I think I can help you again. I'm not sure how, but I need you to calm down so..."

Carlos trailed off when a black/white mist was released from his mouth, which soared all over Beast!Ben and Beast!Anthony, which suddenly calmed them down almost like they were in a trance, causing everyone to look at Carlos in shock, who was even more in shock, all of them confused.

"What the hell was that?" Jay asked.

"Carlos, did you..." Ara trailed off.

"I think he did, Ara," Mari told her.

"Maybe that's what Azari meant about you three getting different things when you were all touched by the fog and broke free from the stone," Uma told them.

"Carlos, look," River told him. "Ben and Anthony calmed down after you told them to after that mist from your mouth hit them."

"Yeah, so?" Gil asked.

"So, I think all Carlos has to do is to tell Ben and Anthony to change back," Izzy answered.

"Really?" Celia asked.

Carlos shrugged. "We're about to find out." He realized more mist onto Beast!Ben and Beast!Anthony with a breath. "Change back."

After a moment, in a swirl of blue/gold smoke, Ben and Anthony returned human, and the glowing faded from their eyes. Everyone was breathing heavily in relief and shock, catching their breath, finally able to relax. Mal, Malia and Bane embraced Ben and Anthony.

Bane sighed in relief. "Ben. Anthony."

"Hey," Anthony told them in confusion.

"What?" Ben asked. "What happened?"

"What's going on?" Anthony asked.

"Azari got the stone and he shattered it," Yeva answered. "We can't use the stone to stop the horn."

Ben and Anthony spoke together worriedly. "What?"

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Mal told them.

"We can figure it out together," Malia agreed.

Evie nodded. "Totally."

"How?" Harry asked. "Our only way to stop the horn was the stone, and Azari crushed that underneath his boot, along with our hopes of stopping him."

"Not helping, Harry," Jay told him.

"Yeah, could use a little more positivity," Ara agreed.

"Well, hope and positivity is in short supply," Gaige replied. "So what ideas do you got?"

Mari sighed. "Do we have a plan?"

"Not exactly," Uma answered.

"Not exactly?" Ben repeated.

"Look, we literally just lost the stone, okay?" River asked. "Give us a little break."

"We still have the plane ride back to Auradon to figure out how to save everyone," Gil pointed out.

"Let's just hope that it's enough time for us to come up with a plan," Celia told them.

Carlos nodded. "It's got to be. Let's go."

Everyone walked off with an air of defeat, but determined to keep fighting and win.

-----

Auradon

The Tower - Infirmary

In the infirmary of the Tower where the group went to be treated or tested for anything, Ben and Anthony were both laying down on two tables, both still pretty badly wounded from the fight with Azari and from the stone and the tumbling temple, more hurt than anyone because of their beastly fight with the Chernabog!Azari. Bane was standing between the two tables they were laying on, using magic with bright blue visual effects, plus machinery to check on them.

Mal and Malia were helping tend to the wounds on Ben and Anthony left by the transformations, the temple, the stone, and of course from the fight with Azari, worried and concerned for them, overwhelmed.

"We're so lucky that Carlos thought of coming up with a room like this combining state of the art technology with magic and medicine so that we could figure out everything we needed to figure out," Anthony told them.

"Totally," Ben agreed. "Definitely glad that Bane and Mari, with help of Yeva, Izzy, Mal, Malia, Ara, Uma and River, could help make this place the best it could be with all three sides of that."

"Definitely," Anthony sighed.

"You guys got hurt pretty badly from the stone, the transformations and the fight with Azari, but I think Malia and I've got you patched up as best as we could," Mal told them.

Ben nodded. "Thank you."

They all looked at the magical and machinery testing on them.

"What's that?" Ben asked.

"This is what Izzy, Yeva, Mal, Ara, Mari, Bane, Uma, River and I helped Carlos create with magic, enchanting his technology with magic and medicine so that we can examine and run tests on anyone that needed it, so that we could easily tell if anyone had energy levels of magic, or needed help with healing," Malia answered.

"And right now, Ben and Anthony are needing all the healing from this thing that they can get because of Azari almost killing them," Bane told them.

"Well, let us help," Mal told him. "We can help, Bane."

Anthony looked up. "Guys?"

"Shh," Malia told them. "Be still."

Bane, Mal and Malia continued their magic on the technology with the medicine. A magical outline of Ben and Anthony started to levitate in the air, so that Bane, Mal and Malia could examine it.

"So this isn't regular magic," Mal told them. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Bane told them. "But Ben, Anthony and Carlos shouldn't have been able to survive the amount of energy surging through them."

Ben and Anthony looked up.

"Meaning what?" Anthony asked.

"Meaning that with the amount of energy going through you three, there's no way that the fog just turned you and Ben into beasts, or just gave Carlos a mist that could help him control you, Anthony," Malia told him.

"Meaning what?" Anthony asked. "Something else happened to me, Carlos and Ben?"

"Probably a lot more," Bane answered. "But the more energy is in you and Ben, Anthony. Carlos's energy change is minimal compared to both of yours."

"If Azari was right, and the fog did do that to me and Anthony..." Ben trailed off. "To us and Carlos... what else did it do to us?"

"We don't know," Mal admitted. "That's what we're hoping to find out."

"This is interesting," Bane told them. "Anthony, your stats are skyrocketing. Everything in your system seems to be stronger now, more durable, and it's going so much faster. And Ben's... it's like his system is more relaxed and at ease and peace."

"Doesn't that mean anything special?" Ben asked.

"We can't be sure yet," Malia told them. "We have to figure out more before we can be sure."

Anthony sat up. "All right, then, can we be done for now? Please? I would like to get some rest. Traipsing through the Caribbean, being hit by supernatural fog, turning into stone, breaking free, and running out of a tumbling temple before it collapsed, not to mention turning into a beast for the second time in your life, it's all very exhausting."

"Anthony, this isn't funny," Mal told him seriously in concern, a little annoyed by the joke. "We all thought that you, Ben and Carlos were done for in the temple. None of us knew that you would survive. Imagine how it felt watching you three freeze and turn to stone, and not being able to do anything about it."

Anthony sighed, realizing just how much she had been scared, nodding, wrapping his arm around her. "I'm sorry, Mal. You're right. It's not funny. I'm just... so tired."

Mal returned the embrace. "I know."

"Ben, are you..." Malia trailed off.

"I'm fine," Ben answered, sitting up, taking Malia's hands in his, bringing them to his lips to kiss, looking up at her, smiling a little. "I promise, Malia. I mean, we don't really remember much of what happened when we were beasts, and we know that we could have killed you guys, and we're so sorry for that..."

Malia shook her head. "Don't you even think about blaming yourself for that, Ben. Everybody knows that it wasn't your fault."

"And it wasn't yours, Anthony," Mal agreed.

"Anthony, Ben, why don't you two just kiss Mal and Malia and get it over with?" Bane asked. The four others chuckled, but humoring Bane and sharing a sweet and loving relieved moment, Anthony/Mal and Ben/Malia did share a kiss each. "But I'll tell you this much. You guys beasting out on Azari? You guys totally kicked ass again. And you totally saved us. Well, we all did a lot of saving today, but you two got to help big time with that, too, for the second time."

They all smiled.

Ben gestured to his brother. "Come here, Bane. Anthony and I know you were worried too. Scared even."

Bane shook his head unconvincingly. "I was not."

Anthony smirked, unconvinced, knowing. "Right. Sure you weren't."

"I wasn't," Bane joked.

"You were too," Anthony told him. "Come here."

Bane walked closer to give Anthony and Ben a big embrace, as his two older brothers smiled and returned the hug, all embracing each other. Mal and Malia smiled.

-----

Woods

Carlos and Ara were walking along the trail alone, holding hands, looking at each other.

"I can't believe that happened," Carlos told her.

"I know," Ara agreed. "I mean, we all thought that you, Ben and Anthony were gonna die, Carlos. And that was the worst feeling that I could have ever felt. Watching you turn to stone while I was helpless to do anything."

Carlos managed a small, reassuring smile, wrapping an arm around Ara. "If there's anything I know about Queen Ara, it's that you're not helpless in anything."

"Yeah, exactly," Ara said. "Which is why feeling helpless like that while I thought you, the guy that I love, and two of my best friends were dying, felt like absolute torture. Like I was dying."

Carlos stopped, turning to face Ara, pulling her closer. "Well, you don't have to worry now, okay? I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." Ara managed a small smile. They embraced, kissing slowly, sweetly and passionately in absolute relief, sighing heavily, holding each other close, before finally pulling away. Carlos smiled. "But did you see the way that I could control Beast!Anthony and Ben?"

Ara smiled. "Yeah. It's pretty awesome. You saved us doing that, too. Because Anthony and Ben lost control and they couldn't help whatever they did." Carlos nodded in agreement. "But you used whatever that mist was, and you could control them to stop, and to turn back to human. Which is going to be really helpful if that ever happens again."

"Right," Carlos agreed. "Because if Azari's right, then Ben and Anthony have permanent beast sides, and I have this new... whatever you wanna call it. Power. Power that doesn't always work."

"What do you mean?" Ara asked.

"Well, when we first got back to Auradon, I tried that mist control thing on one of the servants that was getting the doors for us," Carlos explained. "Didn't work."

Ara laughed. "You did not."

Carlos smiled, laughing lightly. "I did."

Ara had to stop herself from laughing more. "Wow."

Carlos laughed again, shaking his head. "So yeah, it might not work on people. But it worked on Ben and Anthony."

"While in a beastly animal form," Ara agreed. "I wouldn't give up on your new power just yet."

Carlos looked at her curiously. "Okay."

Dude the talking dog ran up to them, yipping in excitement and relief. "Carlos! Ara!" Carlos and Ara smiled upon seeing Dude, kneeling down so that he could run up to them, and so they could pet him and hold him. "Thank God you're home! I heard what happened to you guys, and I'm so glad you're okay."

"How did you hear what happened to us so fast?" Carlos asked. "Did Mari come to tell you?"

"No, Mari did not come to tell me," Dude lied. Carlos and Ara gave him a skeptical look. "Okay, Mari came to tell me. You guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Ara answered. "Some of us weren't too sure about it at first, but we're all okay. Ben and Anthony turned to beasts again and Carlos got a new power to control them while they were beastly."

"But the power doesn't work on people, I don't think," Carlos explained. "And pretty sure that it only works on beasts so far."

"Really?" Dude asked. "Why don't you try it on me?"

"No, Dude, I'm not gonna try it on you, unless you try to follow us into dangerous situations again when you're not supposed to," Carlos told him.

Ara smiled, shaking her head, taking Dude to hold. "I gotta go meet up with Mal, Malia, Mari, Uma and River at Tails later. I'll take Dude back to the water mansion on the way. You wanna come with?"

Carlos shook his head. "Nah, I got to, uh... I gotta take a walk and clear my head. Think about everything that happened, and what it means now."

Ara nodded in understanding. "Okay. You gonna be okay?"

Carlos thought for a moment. "Yeah. I think I will be." Ara smiled slightly, turning to go. Carlos caught her arm, pulling her back to kiss her lightly on the cheek. "I love you, Ara. Earlier turning to stone, I thought I'd never said that again."

Ara smiled, touched, chuckling lightly, nodding, biting her lip emotionally but happily in relief. "I love you, too, Carlos."

Carlos smiled. "Bye."

Ara nodded. "Bye."

Ara backed away slowly, letting her hand slip out of Carlos's. They looked at each other for a moment longer with glistening gleams in their eyes and small smiles on their lips. Ara turned around to walk away with Dude.

Carlos watched Ara go, sighing in relief that everything seemed to be okay for now, taking a deep breath, just letting himself breathe and think about what all it meant now. As Carlos was alone, walking alone, he was humming, nodding, snapping.

A large rotating crystal prism flew down from the sky, right up to Carlos, making him stop in shock, showing him that it was holding several tiny crystals inside. Carlos walked closer to the prism in curiosity, seeing one of the crystals inside was glowing with black and white colors, two of his colors, with a tinge of red to signify that Carlos always had a tiny amount of red as well. The way that the crystal was glowing black/white with a tinge of red was calling out to Carlos. Carlos slowly reached into the prism so that he could take hold of the crystal that was calling out to him, slowly pulling it out. Once the crystal was out of the prism, the crystal was slowly turning turning into ring blades, like the crystal was creating the weapon specially just for Carlos based off of his fighting skill and personality, leaving the ring blades resting in his hands as the crystal dissolved away completely. Carlos looked at the ring blades in his hands in shock and awe. As soon as it had appeared, the large rotating crystal prism flew away up into the sky, disappearing. Carlos watched in go in disbelief, looking at the ring blades in his hands, spinning them around, making a few moves with them like he knew how to use them instantly. He smiled in shock and awe, turning around, running off so that he could tell the others.