CHAPTER 40

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. Ben!" Chad says as he recognizes Ben. "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 Ellie 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 Ellie's shoulders.

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

"Ellie?" Ben asks confused as he looks at her causing her to sigh.

"I have to tell you guys something. Um..." Ellie 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," Ellie answers him causing Harry to shake his hook at her.

"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 Ellie. "I knew it was a mistake to trust you. You're always out for yourself."

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

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

"Celia," Ellie tries but Celia grabs the ember from her. "Celia. Celia, no!" Celia throws the ember into water. "Celia! No! No." Ellie 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."

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

"I can't believe you were going to try to keep me away from him," Mal tells Ellie before running after Uma and Harry.

"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 sister and best friends. But I had to do something. I had to protect Auradon," Ellie explains as Evie takes a couple of steps towards her.

"Closing the barrier was your idea?" Evie asks her in shock and slight disgust.

"I did it for us. I did it for our life that we have here now," Ellie 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. 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 Mal. And you lied to Jay. And you lied to Carlos. And you lied to me, your own sister. We're your family."

"Evie. Evie, come on. I had no choice!" Ellie tries as her friends turn away from her. Ben turns to try to talk to Evie but there is a lightening strike and when Ellie 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?" Ellie 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," Ellie sings as she walks over to Jay before touching his shoulder.

"But a sacrifice is not

A firm foundation

You cannot build a castle

On a mountain made of sand," Ellie 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," Ellie sings as she walks over to her sister, 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," Ellie sings as she walks through the forest.

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

"Your friends kick you to the curb?" Uma asks her as Mal looks at Ellie sadly. "Good."

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

"You talk pretty, but she's already made up her mind," Harry says for Uma.

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

"Life is not a storybook

But life unfolds in chapters

Turn the page

And start to make amends" Ellie sings as she remembers standing with Mal as they took on Maleficent.

"There's no pre-written

Guarantee

Of happily ever after

Step into your greatness

Before your story ends" Ellie sings as she remembers walking into the Chip Shoppe to see Uma. To battling Uma for Ben 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" Ellie sings as she remembers Mal 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," Ellie sings as she remembers Ben proposing and Audrey's reaction.

"This once upon a time

Will finally see," Ellie 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"