CHAPTER 34

"No. No, I want the Auradon guard handing out gas masks. Well, not everyone's asleep," Ben orders before hanging up his phone. He then turns to the guard at the door. "Find out if anyone has seen Audrey. And find out if she has a list of demands." Ben unzips his jacket before sitting down. He was extremely worried about Mal and Addy. He hadn't heard from them in hours.

"Just one," Audrey says from behind Ben, causing him to quickly stand up and face her. "I demand my life back. I have a proposition. I'll wake everybody up right now...under one...itty-bitty condition, Benny-boo." Audrey trails her fingers up Ben's arm before moving his hair and resting her hand on his cheek. "Make me your Queen, and we'll rule side by side."

"Did someone put a spell on you?" Ben asks Audrey as he grabs her hand. "Just tell me who and..."

"You'll what? Marry them?" Audrey questions him with a laugh. "Most people get dumped because they aren't good enough. I wasn't bad enough. How do you like me now, Benny-boo?" Audrey walks away from Ben before doing a twirl.

"I like the old Audrey better. She wouldn't wanna hurt Auradon. Just give me the scepter, and I'll forgive you," Ben tells Audrey as he walks towards her.

"You'll forgive me? I don't think so. Sleeping is too good for you," Audrey says before zapping, Ben with the scepter.  "Sleeping is too good for Auradon." Audrey zaps the scepter again causing everyone, who wasn't sleeping to turn to stone.

"All right. Get in, get out," Mal orders as they walk towards the barrier. "Addy, you good?"

"Yeah," Addy answers as she holds up the remote.

"Okay. Hold on," Mal orders before Addy opens the barrier and they walk through.

"Whoa," Mal says as a shock goes through her and the ember lights up.

"You got a little Hades thing going," Evie says as she motions to Mal's hair.

"Wow. That thing packs a punch, huh?" Carlos says as Mal looks at her hair. Harry and Gil quickly jump out of the closing barrier behind them.

"We made it, bro. We made it," Gil cheers as they hug and the barrier closes.

"Hey, guys. We're just coming for a wee visit," Harry says before he and Gil walk forward. Jay and Carlos shove them back only to be shoved back. Carlos bumps into Mal causing her to drop the ember.

"Hey. Hey," Mal says as she grabs the ember but Harry uses his hook to sling her arm causing her to lose the ember. "No!" The ember flies towards the water but is grabbed by a tentacle before Uma emerges from the water.

"Drop something?" Uma asks with a smirk.

"It can't get wet. Give it back before it goes out," Mal quickly says as she holds out her hand.

"Uma?" Harry and Gil say at the same time. 

"That's my name," Uma says with a laugh before going underwater.

"No!" Mal calls as Uma took the ember with her. The water starts to swirl up before it busts causing Jay to pull Addy to him protectively.

"Hi, boys," Uma calls and they turn to find her behind them, holding the ember.

"Welcome back," Harry says as he walks over to her.

"Uma, you swam off and forgot all about us," Gil says sadly as he walks over.

"Yeah. Planning her revenge, no doubt," Addy says as she crosses her arms.

"It's not all about you two, Mal and Addy. I was looking for a hole in the barrier to let everybody out," Uma tells her before turning to Harry and Gil. "And you know what I found, boys? It's way better out there than we thought. There's this thing that looks like a furry rock called a coconut. And fish so big you could dance on their backs. And they've been keeping it all for themselves."

"Whatever. Uma, I need that to break a spell," Mal says as she holds her hand out for the ember.

"Cast by Audrey, Sleeping Beauty's daughter," Carlos adds.

"Mm. So the good guy is the bad guy? Well, I might not give it back. Let's see what happens," Uma says with a laugh.

"Uma, it's not the time for games! People's lives are in danger!" Addy yells at her.

"Guarantee me that every single villain kid who wants to, can get off the isle," Uma tells them.

"I can't do that," Mal says as she remembers her decision.

"Can't do that? Well, how about now?" Uma questions as she holds the ember over the water.

"Deal. Deal," Mal quickly says before Uma pretends to drop it.

"Uma!" Evie calls. "Her word is good."

"I'll still keep this, for the time being," Uma says sticking the ember into her jacket as she walks away from the edge. "Because if you think I trust you to save the world on your own, think again. This is a job for pirates."

"We can always go back to hating each other when this is over," Addy tells Mal as she and Jay walk over to Mal.

"Fine," Mal says as she crosses her arms.

"Where are our bikes?" Jay asks.

"Oh, yeah. We crashed them," Gil answers him before Harry mimics what happened with sound affects causing Addy to roll her eyes.

"Here's a thought. We could try to be friends. Put our history behind us and celebrate our differences. Yeah?" Evie says as she, Addy, and Celia stand between the two groups. "Who wants gum?"

"Let's go," Uma orders.

"No?" Evie asks as she shakes a bag of gum and Addy holds her hand out causing Evie to smile.

"Ah..." Mal says when Uma tries to walk away. "No. I'm in charge. Let's go."

"They're asleep. Everyone," Addy says as they walk to the courtyard at Auradon Prep.

"I can't get Ben," Mal says as she puts her phone away.

"Or Dizzy or Doug," Evie says a she does the same.

"Or even Chad," Addy says as she puts up her phone.

"Or Jane. The signal's out," Carlos says as he looks at his phone.

"Is that Auradon Prep?" Celia asks as the school comes into view.

"Yeah. When everybody wakes up, you're going to love it," Carlos answers her.

"Yesss," Celia cheers quietly.

"Everything is so..." Gil says as he looks around.

"Freaky," Jay finishes.

"green," Gil says instead. "You have leaves on your trees. And what are those colored things on the bushes?"

"Uh... Flowers?" Jay answers him confused.

"Flowers are pretty," Gil says. "Cantaloupe! Mm! Mm!" Gil grabs a bowl on the table and starts eating what's in it.

"We don't have fresh fruit on the Isle, remember?" Uma tells Jay.

"They're grapes," Addy tells Gil before she and Jay walk off.

"Grapes? I love grapes," Gil says as he eats some more.

"I believe I deserve some compensation for my muscles, my wile, and my role in this endeavor," Harry says as he takes a guy's wallet then the money in it.

"You do," Jay says sarcastically as he grabs the money from Harry. "And I'll squash you like a bug."

"Think I'm scared of you, Jay?" Harry asks him as he throws the wallet down.

"Guys," Mal and Uma say at the same time as Addy pulls Jay back.

"Delicious," Dude says while eating from a guys hand before burping.

"Dude, really?" Carlos asks as he walks over.

"What? It wasn't me, I swear. Okay. It was me," Dude tells him.

"Hey, do you know what happened here?" Carlos asks Dude.

"Yup. Audrey showed up. She put everybody to sleep. And then she turned some of them to..." Dude starts explaining.

"Guys," Evie calls. "Hannah turned to stone."

"All right. Everybody stay on their toes," Jay tells everyone.

"Look, since we're here, let's check the school," Uma says before walking towards the school.

"No. Audrey went straight for the crown, so, I think it's safe to assume that she's gonna go for Ben and his castle next. That's where we'll go," Mal explains causing Uma to stop and Addy to nod.

"Says who?" Uma asks.

"Says me," Mal answers her.

"Says you. And that's supposed to mean something to me?" Uma says as they walk towards each other.

"Guys," Addy and Evie say causing Uma and Mal to stop.

"To the castle," Mal orders.