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 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.

"I have to tell you guys something. Um..." Mal says as she turns to face everyone and Val stands beside her for support. "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.

"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 and Val. "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 Mal. "You're nothing but a chicken. Too scared to tell me that me and Felicity were never gonna see our 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."

"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 friend. But I had to do something. I had to protect Auradon," Mal explains as Evie takes a couple of steps towards her.

"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. 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 Val tries to talk to Jay but there is a lightening strike and when Mal and Val look up everyone is turned to stone. "No."

"Here we are alone

And we deserve it

Our friends have turned to stone and that's on us

We had a cause to serve

But did we serve it?

Did we see ourselves in a way

That wasn't true?" Mal and Val sings as Val walks over to Jay and touches his hand.

"Why tell all those lies?

We feel unworthy

Like there isn't solid ground

For us to stand," Mal and Val sing as Val walks over to Ben and Mal walks over to Jay.

"But a sacrifice is not

A firm foundation

You cannot build a castle

On a mountain made of sand," Val and Mal sing as they kneel down beside Carlos and Dude.

"This is not our father's Fairy tale

And no it's not

Our mother's fault we fail

So when our story comes to light," Mal and Val sing as they walk over to Evie, touching her cheeks.

"Make sure the story

That they write

Goes once upon a time

They fought the dragon

Once upon a time

That beast was us

Once upon a misspent youth

They faced themselves

They spoke the truth

That's how We see

Our once upon a time

This time," Mal and Val sing as they 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 and Val catch 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 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.

"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 and Val sing as they remember standing together as they took on Maleficent.

"There's no pre-written

Guarantee

Of happily ever after

Step into your greatness

Before your story ends" Mal and Val sing as they remember walking in to 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

The girls flew higher

Once upon a time

They made things right" Mal and Val sing as they remember turning into dragons to take on Uma.

"Once upon a tie that binds

They changed their hearts

To change their minds

That's got to be

Our once upon a time," Mal and Val sing as they remember Ben proposing and Audrey's reaction.

"This once upon a time

Will finally see," Mal and Val sing as they remember facing Hades. Then getting the ember from Hades. To seeing their family turned to stone.

"Our once upon a time this time"