CHAPTER 26

Ben leads the way to Fairy Cottage. They bust inside and don't see anyone. Jay quickly heads upstairs to check.

"She's not upstairs," Jay says as he comes back down. There is then banging on the door beside Ben.

"Chad?" Ben asks as he opens the door to reveal the Blonde prince.

"I want my mommy," Chad says before Ben goes to help him up. "No."

"It's okay," Ben tells him as he helps him up. "What happened, buddy?" Chad looks around at everyone scared.

"Ben. Bree!" Chad says as he recognizes Ben and sees Bree. "Your face. She's gone? Huh? The door is open. I'm free. Freedom! Oh! Freedom!" Chad takes off running out the door causing Harry to laugh.

"Ooh. All right. Let's get this Audrey chick taken care of already. What do you say, girls?Time to wrap things up?" Uma says as they walk outside causing Mal to laugh before they fist bump.

"You know, someday, you're gonna have to tell me how you guys all got teamed up," Ben says as he wraps an arm around Mal's shoulders.

"Actually, Mal promised to let all the kids off the Isle once this is over," Evie tells Ben.

"Mal?" Ben asks confused and glances at Bree.

"I have to tell you guys something. Um..." Mal says as she turns to face everyone. "I lied to you. The kids won't be coming off the Isle."

"What do you mean?" Jay asks her.

"The program is shut down. And the barrier will be closed for good," Mal answers him causing Harry to shake his hook at her and looks at Bree betrayed.

"For Auradon's safety," Ben adds.

"Hold up. So we're saving your precious people and your behinds for a lie," Uma says as she walks over to Mal. "I knew it was a mistake to trust you. You're always out for yourself."

"And you two, King Ben and Princess Breilla aye... you're probably just gonna throw us all back inside," Harry says sadly as he walks over to Ben and Bree.

"No," Bree says shaking her head and grabbing Harry's hand. "And if they do, I'm going too."

"You know what? I actually thought you were brave," Celia says as she walks over to Mal. "You're nothing but a chicken. Too scared to tell me that I was never gonna see my dad again."

"Celia," Mal tries but Celia grabs the ember from her. "Celia. Celia, no!" Celia throws the ember into water. "Celia! No! No." Mal quickly grabs the ember. "Regain your might and ignite! No... Regain your might and ignite!" The ember lost it's glow and won't come back.

"Bummer," Uma says as she holds up her necklace. "Let's go find Gil and leave them all to rot."

"Harry?" Bree asks as he lets go of her hand.

"Sorry, Princess," Harry says before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Please, don't. Let me go with you," Bree says as tears starts to fall.

"Lets go, Harry," Uma orders.

"No. Uh... Uma!" Mal tries but Uma and Harry walk away.

"Evie... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I just... I thought that... I was afraid to tell you. I thought I was gonna lose my best friends. But I had to do something. I had to protect Auradon," Mal explains as Evie takes a couple of steps towards her. Bree falls to the ground and pulls her knees to her chest as she cries.

"Closing the barrier was your idea?" Evie asks her.

"I did it for us. I did it for our life that we have here now," Mal answers her.

"For our life? What about the kids that we left behind on that island? The kids that we promised? We were their only hope. Look at what this has done to Bree. I thought you were gonna stand up for the V.K.'s. But instead, you lied to them," Evie questions her before pointing at everyone. "And you lied to Jay. And you lied to Carlos. And you lied to me. We're your family."

"Evie. Evie, come on. I had no choice!" Mal tries as her friends turn away from her. Ben turns to try to talk to Evie and Jay walks over to Bree but there is a lightening strike and when Mal looks up everyone is turned to stone. "No."

"Here you are alone

And you deserve it

Your friends have turned To stone and that's on you

You had a cause to serve

But did you serve it?

Did you see yourself in a way That wasn't true?" Mal sings as she walks over to Ben and touches his hand.

"Why tell all those lies?

You feel unworthy

Like there isn't solid ground For you to stand," Mal sings as she walks over to Jay and Bree before touching Bree's head.

"But a sacrifice is not A firm foundation

You cannot build a castle On a mountain made of sand," Mal sings as she kneels down beside Carlos and Dude.

"This is not your father's Fairy tale

And no it's not Your mother's fault you fail

So when your story comes To light," Mal sings as she walks over to Evie, touching her cheek.

"Make sure the story That they write

Goes once upon a time

She fought the dragon

Once upon a time

That beast was me

Once upon a misspent youth

She faced herself

She spoke the truth

That's how I see

My once upon a time This time," Mal sings as she walks through the forest.

"Uma! Uma, stop! Please, stop! I need your help. We have a chance if we do this together," Mal says as she catches up to Uma and Harry, stopping in front of them.

"Your friends kick you to the curb?" Uma asks her. "Good."

"Ben saw something in you. And Bree saw something in Harry. And today, Uma, I saw it, too. You care. Uma, you care about everybody. And Auradon is worth saving. Help us, please," Mal says trying to reason with her.

"You talk pretty, but she's already made up her mind," Harry says for Uma, before glancing around to see if Bree was nearby.

"You brought this on yourself, Mal. You figure out how to fix it. Let's go," Uma says before she and Harry walk away again.

"Life is not a storybook

But life unfolds in chapters

Turn the page

And start to make amends" Mal sings as she remembers standing with Evie, Jay, and Carlos as they took on Maleficent.

"There's no pre-written Guarantee Of happily ever after

Step into your greatness Before your story ends" Mal sings as she remembers walking in to the Chip Shoppe to see Uma. To battling Uma for Ben and Bree as Carlos throws smoke bombs.

"So when your story ends

They'll say

Once upon a time

A girl flew higher

Once upon a time

She made things right" Mal sings as she remembers turning into a dragon to take on Uma.

"Once upon a tie that binds

She changed her heart To change their minds

That's got to be My once upon a time," Mal sings as she remembers Ben proposing and Audrey's reaction.

"This once upon a time Will finally see," Mal sings as she remembers facing Hades. Then getting the ember from Hades. To seeing her family turned to stone.

"My once upon a time This time"