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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍

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After leaving the beach where they met with Caleb and CJ, Skyler and Holly led their allies through the streets of the Isle. Both of them wanted to stay hidden now more than ever, especially after hearing that Scott was involved. The Leeu girl wanted to avoid her brother at all costs, but now that didn't seem like it was possible. And with Scott being involved, it was even more likely for them to run into Quinn. After all, word travels fast on the Isle. Too fast for either of their liking. All they could do now was find Ruby and get back to Auradon as quickly as possible.

Elias was feeling just as desperate as Skyler and Holly but for a different reason. While the two girls led their group, he was stuck in the back with Hanna. He imagined the terrifying statue of her father displayed at the museum every time he looked at her. He, his sister, and their cousins would always avoid that hall because of that. The Frost boy just wanted to be rid of her and finish their job so they could go home. After hearing all the stories his mother and aunt told him about Hans, he wanted to get as far away from the redheaded girl as possible. But just like always, luck wasn't in his favor.

Hanna was skipping beside him with a large smile on her face, occasionally looking up at him with a sparkle in her eyes. It made Elias uncomfortable for reasons he couldn't explain. And it was just his luck that the Westergaard girl decided to break the silence that surrounded them.

"So I get why those two are here. Ruby is part of their family, after all. And Skyler and Holly are most likely trying to prove themselves to Auradon," Hanna said after gesturing toward the four people walking in front of them before her attention returned to Elias, "what I don't get is why you're here. Are you getting paid? Or did your mom force you to come? From what Dad's told me, that seems like something she would do."

"No," was all the Frost boy responded while keeping his eyes glued to Sapphire and Rudy.

The Westergaard girl glanced between Elias and the royals for a moment before a playful smile appeared on her face. "Oh, I get it now! You're helping the princess rescue her cousin to get her attention. How very princely of you."

The blonde boy glanced down at the girl walking beside him, unsure if he was annoyed or amused by her words. After letting out a long sigh, Elias turned his attention back to the path ahead of them. "Not exactly."

A confused look appeared on Hanna's face as she followed Elias' gaze. It didn't take her long to figure out what he was implying. Especially when she realized it wasn't Sapphire he was staring at...but Rudy. "To get the prince's attention?"

"Okay. Enough," the Frost boy told her, earning another confused look from the redheaded girl. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, Elias grabbed Hanna's arm and pulled her back. Once he was sure his allies couldn't hear them, he resumed walking with the daughter of Hans close by his side. "You figured it out. Happy? But keep it to yourself. The world doesn't need to know."

"So you have a crush on a prince. What's the big deal? No one on the Isle cares about that. Just look at Skyler and Holly," Hanna told him after gesturing to the girls walking hand-in-hand ahead of them.

Elias was silent as he stared at the two girls, silently wishing to be as carefree about his feelings as they were. That lasted for another moment before the son of Elsa and Jack let out a long sigh. "Maybe no one on the Isle cares but this place is a lot different than Auradon. There are hundreds of stories about the prince getting the princess but never one about the prince getting the prince. That's just not how it works over there."

Hanna stared at him for a moment, taking in everything Elias had just said. She didn't understand how Auradon worked to begin with and now she was even more lost. But instead of questioning the prince even more, she sent him a small smile. "Well, maybe you should change that."

When Elias looked down at Hanna once again, he found her staring up back at him with happiness in her eyes, a look that wasn't unfamiliar to him. Despite a side of him telling him not to trust the redheaded girl, his walls were slowly melting. She was starting to remind him of Joy in more ways than he could count, making him realize how much he truly missed his sister. Elias hadn't seen his sister since she left for the North Pole with their father to learn how to be a Guardian with the rest of the Guardians' children. Their father had since returned, wanting to help their mother with ruling the Enchanted Forest. He hadn't spoken to Joy in a little over two months. Even though he missed her more than words can describe, Elias kept his feelings hidden. But after spending time with Hanna since they arrived on the Isle, his emotions were beginning to return.

Just as Elias was about to respond, the group in front of them came to a sudden stop. The duo instantly copied their actions once they caught up to them. The Frost boy was surprised to find them on a cliff overlooking a large field, but his face didn't show it. To everyone that surrounded them, he looked as cool and collected as ever. But what made his stoic exterior fade and show the shock he was feeling was the look on Hanna's face. The playful look in her eyes was replaced by fear as she stared at the building sitting in the center of the field. Elias had never seen anyone look so terrified, especially not anyone as young as Hanna.

"This is it. That's Harriet's hideout," Holly announced, drawing Elias' attention back to the situation at hand right as the Hearts girl continued speaking, "I know it doesn't look like much from here, but it's one of the scariest places on the Isle."

"What makes it so scary? It looks like it could fall with a gust of wind," Sapphire commented while keeping her eyes glued to the small building in the distance.

"It's not the house that's scary. It's the people inside," Skyler responded without looking away from the field. That lasted for a moment longer before she turned around to face her allies. "Harriet only recruits the most ruthless kids. Kids who don't show any mercy. That's why her crew is the most successful."

"And why this is where we go our separate ways," Hanna announced, drawing all attention to her before she sent him a forced smile, "I'm sorry but it's bad enough I helped you get this far. I can't risk getting on Harriet's bad side." The redheaded girl paused for a second to watch everyone nod in response, all completely understanding of her decision. It wasn't long after that when her eyes landed on Elias, who was staring back at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Think about what I said. You deserve happiness too. Oh! And tell Gabby hi for me!"

Before the Frost boy had a chance to respond, Hanna turned and sprinted down the nearest alleyway. Everyone watched until she was out of sight before Rudy turned his attention toward Elias. "What was that about?"

"It's nothing," the blonde boy said faster than he intended, causing him to let out a long sigh to ease his nerves. Once he felt calm, he turned back around to face Skyler and Holly. "So, what's the plan now?"

His question made Skyler and Holly exchange a look, one that caused a wave of uneasiness to wash over the Auradon natives. After they had a silent conversation, the two girls turned their attention back to their allies. Silence continued to surround them for another moment before the Hearts girl finally found the courage to break it. "If we all go down there, we're bound to be noticed. Which means only one of us can go."

"I'll do it," Rudy announced while taking a confident step forward, only to receive skeptical looks in response to his actions, "she's my sister. I should be the one to rescue her."

"In a perfect world, it would be you, Rudy. But this isn't a perfect world. If you go down there, you won't get very far," Skyler told him as a million emotions flowed through her veins before letting out a long sigh, "it needs to be me. I'm the only one who knows what's on the inside of that building."

"I don't think you'll get very far either," a new voice said, causing Skyler's entire body to tense. After looking over at Holly, who was already staring back at her with fear in her eyes, the Leeu girl slowly turned in the direction of the voice. The second her eyes met Scott's piercing gaze, her blood ran cold. Everything within her was telling her to either fight or run, but all Skyler could do was stand there, frozen like a statue. Her reaction caused a sinister smirk to appear on Scott's face as he took another step toward his sister. "It's so nice to see you again. It's been far too long."

"The feeling isn't mutual," the Leeu girl muttered under her breath while slowly reaching for the hilt of her sword, knowing that this wasn't going to end the way she wanted it to.

Without any warning, Scott unsheathed his sword and lunged at Skyler. Luckily, the Leeu girl was prepared and was able to block his attack with her own sword. Holly quickly pushed the Auradon natives out of harm's way before jumping into the fight without an ounce of hesitation. The clashing of metal filled the air as Rudy, Sapphire, and Elias watched the two girls hold their own against the older boy. The Leeu boy lunged forward again with his sword held out before him, forcing Skyler and Holly to take three steps back. However, as soon as they regained their bearings, they charged at Scott and sent him stumbling back.

It didn't take a genius to know that Scott outmatched Skyler and Holly in every way when the girls were on their own, but together they seemed to be unstoppable. That was until Scott knocked Holly off her feet, making her hit her head on the rocky floor. The Leeu boy just stared at her unconscious form for a moment before turning his attention back to his sister.

A sinister smirk formed on his face as he lunged forward, causing Skyler to take two steps back. Their dance continued as their swords clanged against each other. It wasn't long after that when the Leeu girl tripped over a stone and fell to the ground. Panic coursed through Rudy and Elias' veins after watching Skyler's sword fall over the cliff. They instantly unsheathed their swords and stepped toward the Leeu siblings, only to stop in their tracks when they heard a shout. After turning toward the source of the sound, they found a girl holding a crooked sword against Sapphire's neck. It only took the boys two seconds to realize who was standing in front of them.

"Scott hasn't seen his little sister in a very long time. Let's not ruin their fun," Shawn said with a smirk while Sapphire continued to stare at her friends with fear in her eyes.

Rudy kept his eyes glued to the daughter of Shan Yu with his hand gripped tightly around his sword, prepared to save his cousin at a moment's notice. While he did that, Elias spun around just in time to see Scott raise his sword in the air. The Frost boy watched in horror as the son of Scar swung his sword at his unarmed sister, unable to help his ally in any way. What he didn't expect was for another sword to come out of nowhere and block the blow. Confusion mixed with the terror he was feeling as he stared at Skyler's redheaded savior. It wasn't long after that when he heard a crash coming from behind him, causing him to turn back around to find a raven-haired girl standing over Shawn's unconscious form.

"We need to go. Now. Zack can only hold off Scott for so long," the girl told them before running past the boys to help Skyler to her feet. Once she finished helping the Leeu girl, she let out a long whistle. It wasn't long after that when another boy came out of nowhere and stopped by their savior's side. Before a full thought could go through anyone's head, they raced forward and picked up Holly. The girl soon turned back to face them and used her head to gesture for them to follow her. "Let's go before Shawn wakes up."

The three Auradon natives were skeptical at first, but all that changed when Skyler started following them without a second thought. After exchanging looks with each other, Rudy, Elias, and Sapphire sprinted down the dark alley. They continued to run for what felt like an eternity until they reached what seemed to be an abandoned shop. The boy took all of Holly's weight, allowing the girl to step forward and pull a key out from behind a rock. After unlocking the door, she went back to supporting Holly and leading the group inside. Not even a minute passed when the redheaded boy appeared behind them before the door slammed shut behind them.

No one said a word as they watched the duo carry Holly over to a very rundown-looking couch before carefully placing her on it. Once she knew the Hearts girl was safe, Skyler turned her attention toward the trio. "Look, Rev, I'm grateful for what you did back there. But why did you just help us? Last I checked, all three of you were loyal to Harriet."

Those words caused the three from Auradon to tense and take a cautious step back from the trio. The girl couldn't help but let out a laugh at their actions before her attention went back to Skyler. "Things changed. We learned some important information. Now we want to help you."

"What exactly did you learn, Rev?" the Leeu girl asked before she noticed Zack staring at Rudy with a look in his eyes she couldn't place. That caused Skyler to unconsciously take a step in front of the Red boy before her attention turned back to Rev. "Or should I ask what did Russell find out?"

The smile on Rev's face did nothing but grow while Zack and Russell let out scoffs. After a long moment of silence, the Gold girl opened her mouth to speak. "It's not like that anymore, Skyler. We want to help you save Ruby."

"Why would the three of you wanna help us?" Elias questioned after taking a step forward to stand beside the Leeu girl.

"Well, for one, you can't get into Harriet's hideout without us," Zack declared, surprising both of them as he took a step toward them while Rev stepped back to stand next to Russell. The Wolf boy just stared at them for a long moment before he looked past them and made eye contact with Rudy. "And two, family has to stick together."

"What are you talking about?" Rudy questioned, earning another smirk from the redheaded boy.

"Were you not listening? You two are related. I even looked into it," Russell responded, only for Rudy, Sapphire, and Elias to stare at the boy with disbelief in their eyes.

Skyler let the scene play out in front of her for another moment. After letting out a long sigh, she opened her mouth to speak, only for a now-conscious Holly to beat her to it.

"If Russell looked into it, then it's true. He takes after his father in that way," the Hearts girl announced as she slowly sat up on the couch before Skyler rushed to her side. After the two of them shared a small smile, they turned their attention back to the people in front of him. "If we're gonna get Ruby out of there, we're gonna need all the help we can get."

The smiles on Rev and Russell's faces grew as the grinning Zack took a step back to stand beside Rev. After the redheaded boy slung his arm around her shoulder, the Gold girl opened her mouth to speak. "Then we better get planning."

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