𝖁engence is a true manipulator.

Rilynn saw it firsthand, knowing it drew from the scepter clutched in Audrey's hand. She doesn't part from the scepter, almost like it was glued to her hand.

"You took away my memory," Rilynn kept her distance from Audrey, but it wasn't like she wasn't safe from her using the scepter. Rilynn eyes it wearily. "You didn't want me to tell them you were about to spell them."

Audrey grins. "What's the fun in that? I'm just giving her the same treatment I got," her lips slowly curled into a snarl, and her eyes darkened dangerously. "I had everything taken from me. I'm just giving her a taste of her own medicine."

Rilynn narrowed her eyes, trying to look threatening, but failed miserably. "What did you do to them?" She balls her fists by her side, keeping her distance from Audrey. "What did you do to Jay?"

Audrey rolls her eyes. "This is your problem, Lynnie," she said with disdain. "I told you not to trust them; they're nothing but liars, only thinking about themselves."

"What are you talking about? They changed for good and helped save Auradon. It's better than what you're doing."

"And why do you think they had to save Auradon? Hmm?" Audrey stepped before Rilynn, forcing her to step back, but Audrey followed. "Who was responsible for Maleficent escaping the barrier and attacking Auradon? Who was the one who provoked and brought Uma to Auradon? It was all Mal's fault. It was all their fault. They're the reason why Auradon was always in trouble."

"The first time was different. They were different people then," Rilynn defended. The VKs were fresh out of the Isle with the mindset of their villainous parents. It was different then. "And Uma . . . That was an accident. Evie said Uma found Mal's spell book, and she can also turn into a giant octopus."

"Did you know she spelled Ben?"

Rilynn paused. What?

She didn't know what Audrey was talking about. Since when was Ben ever spelled? She doesn't remember that happening. Besides, Ben would've told her if he'd ever been under a spell.

"You're lying." She's just trying to turn me against my friends.

As if finding the crack in the wall, Audrey grinned excitedly.

"Why do you think Ben and I broke up? Because your little friend put him under a love spell, he humiliated me in front of the entire school. I had everything then. Ben and I were in love. I was going to be his queen.

Rilynn didn't know what Audrey was talking about but didn't want to know. Whatever Audrey was going to say would only be lies fed by the scepter, and she wasn't going to take her side.

"Audrey, please," Rilynn attempted to reason. What else was she supposed to do? Audrey was doing nothing but taunting her, keeping her by herself for fun. "You need to put the scepter down. Can't you see what it's doing to you? You're mad, I get it, but this isn't how to do it."

She cackles so loud that thunder rumbles over their heads.

Rilynn kept her head high and her stance tall, braving through whatever. She needed to stall and give Mal time to find them. Rilynn can't fight Audrey, not when Audrey has the scepter.

"What's the point of being Queen when everyone's either asleep or turned to stone," Rilynn retorted. Audrey's laughter seized, and her glare hardened.

Clearly, Audrey doesn't like looking like someone who didn't think her plan through.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Lynnie," Audrey turned away from Rilynn, who was still puzzled. "I'll get them later."

Rilynn eyed Audrey warily, not trusting to take her eyes away from her. "Then why are we up here?"

A monstrous roar echoed across the starry night sky; it was a loud screech that could be heard for miles, and a loud flapping of wings sounded behind it.

"For the Majesty herself."

Rilynn faced Audrey. "Audrey, don't do anything stupid. You're going to hurt Mal," she tried to approach Audrey but stopped when the scepter was directly in her face. "Are you using going to use that on me?"

Audrey stared at Rilynn for what felt like minutes, seemingly having a battle behind her dark eyes. It was like she hesitated momentarily, but the scepter shimmered and glowed as if it were alive.

"Don't tempt me, Lynnie," the dragon's roar grew louder as she neared, her wings flapping with an audible snap. Audrey grinned excitedly as she spotted Mal in the distance. "Finally! We've been expecting you!"

Rilynn's seen Mal as a dragon only twice, and it's still amazing to see every time. The princess watched as Mal was practically hovering over them. Her wings were so loud and powerful that Rilynn was nearly knocked off her feet just from the wind coming from them.

Mal was going to fight Audrey even without the ember. Would she even stand a chance against her if she does?

"Mal, don't do it! Just go! She'll--"

"Silence!" Audrey pointed the scepter at Rilynn, sending the princess backward. She tried to stop, but Rilynn couldn't with the force of the scepter. "Save the day, Mal!"

Rilynn screamed when she was thrown off the castle and headed toward the ground. The wind whistled in her ears as she spun around; she went from looking at the stars to rushing toward the grass nearing fast.

Mal swooped down fast and raced after Rilynn, shrieking as she pulled her wings closer to her sides. Mal dove faster than she'd ever done, reaching out her razor claws just a couple of inches from Rilynn. When Mal grabbed Rilynn and pulled her into her chest, she turned her body and tucked her wings around her and Rilynn.

Her back slammed and dragged against the ground, leaving a trail of open dirt behind her. Rilynn laid in Mal's scaly chest, claws on her back as they crashed hard against the ground. Rilynn couldn't see anything; she was smothered in darkness with Mal's wings enveloping her like a protective barrier.

Eventually, Mal spread her wings and lifted her claws, stretching her neck and peering down at Rilynn. The princess looked up at Mal worriedly.

"Are you okay?"

Mal merely blinked and nodded reassuringly.

"Mal, you can't fight her without the ember," they looked down at the dull ember in Mal's claws. It wasn't lively and full of power like it once was. "The scepter's too powerful. It's eating away at Audrey's conscience."

Mal's body rumbled with a soft growl, but her eyes were soft and apologetic. Even if she couldn't talk, Rilynn felt she knew what Mal was trying to say.

"We need Uma," Rilynn realized. She shrieked in surprise when Mal laid her came over Rilynn, shifting aggressively to cover her wing over them. Mal screeched in pain, and a flash of pink emitted from behind Mal's body.

Rilynn gasped. Was that Audrey? Audrey wasn't wasting any time. She was really trying to hurt Mal.

Mal whimpered in discomfort, managing to meet Rilynn's eyes.

"I'm gonna find Uma, okay? She has that magic shell, right?" Rilynn tried to sit up but was shielded again when Audrey shot another blast of dark magic at them. Mal shrieked. "I'll get her. Just buy me some time."

Mal shot her a look, saying, 'What do you think I'm doing?'

Rilynn nodded, and Mal moved her claws but kept one of her wings up to shield her from Audrey's magic. Mal growled as the pain grew unbearable, but she didn't cower as she knew she needed to protect Rilynn.

The princess slid down from Mal's chest but hadn't expected to be far from the ground. Rilynn gasped in surprise, landing beside Mal's shoulder. Rilynn grunted from the hard impact, stumbling back to her feet in discomfort, but managed. Rilynn broke into a sprint and ran from underneath Mal's wings.

Mal knew she needed to keep Audrey's attention away from Rilynn, so Mal rose to her feet once the princess was far away. Her wings flapped powerfully and lifted her heavy body off the ground, and Mal took to the sky, as did Audrey's attention.

Rilynn told herself to keep running and not look back, but when she did, she saw Audrey blasting Mal with her magic. Mal roared out in agony, faltering slightly, but forced herself to shake it. Rilynn gasped when Mal ducked, almost like she was about to fall, but the dragon swooped and spun out of the way, turning Audrey's attention in the other direction.

Uma and her crew walked toward the bridge connecting Auradon to the Isle. Rilynn didn't know if they knew what was happening behind them or if they were purposely ignoring the commotion. Knowing them, they most likely purposely ignored the loud fighting behind them.

"Uma! Uma, wait!" Rilynn skidded in front of the group, holding her hand out, motioning for them to stop.

"Are you daft, Goldie Locks?" Quinn's harsh voice broke first. "We're not helping."

"Step aside, princess," Harry waved his hook, gently pushing Rilynn aside as they carried on walking.

However, Rilynn ran back in front of the group, earning annoyed eye rolls. "Please, just hear me out," she begged.

"Why should we? You're probably just as bad as the rest of them. Karma must really suck."

"You Auradons only care about nobody but yourselves. She's one of you people; you deal with her," Uma stepped around Rilynn, but the princess caught her arm.

"I get it. Everyone in Auradon isn't as good as they make it seem," Uma stared at Rilynn's hand holding her arm, and when she glanced up at the princess, she let go. "But if we don't stop Audrey, she won't stop at just Auradon. Where do you think she'll go when she takes over Auradon?" The villains glanced at one another, pondering the thought. "Mal can't do it by herself, Uma. She needs you, and she knows it."

Mal roared in the distance, Audrey cackled loudly, and a strike of power zapped like lightning in the night sky. Quinn peered over her shoulder curiously, dying to know who was winning the fight behind her. Mal did her best to keep her distance from Audrey, but the princess was trying to shoot her down.

"If you don't want to do it for Auradon, then do it for the Isle."

Uma stared at Rilynn, hating that she used the island to her advantage. If Uma hadn't been so angry about Mal, she might've been impressed by Rilynn's manipulation.

She snorted. "I'm only doing this for the Isle," Rilynn nodded understandably. Uma nodded to her friends. "Come on. We have a kingdom to save."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Quinn huffed under her breath.

"Come on, Quinnie," Gil pulls her along.

The group sprinted toward the castle, where a dragon and princess battled it out, but it looked like Mal was losing. She couldn't stall for much longer. Mal couldn't light the ember, not even with her fire; it was utterly useless, and Mal's magic was no match against Maleficent's scepter.

Mal blew a breath of fire onto the ember hoping to revive the magic, but the blue energy quickly faded.

"She doesn't stand a chance without the ember!"

Audrey shot at Mal and ducked out of the way, laughing manically when it struck the dragon in her wing, earning a loud shriek. The dragon flapped her one good wing while tucking the injured one, but her weight pulled her down with the help of gravity. Mal crashed against the side of the castle, clawing the bricks before she fell hard onto the ground.

"Mal!" Rilynn gasped, wanting to run and help, but she was pulled back.

"Are you crazy?" Harry yanked Rilynn back, staring back at her in bewilderment. He couldn't decide if he was impressed or not by her bravery. It was stupid, regardless. "Audrey will knock you off your feet if you pull something like that."

"We need to help her!"

Uma felt a strong energy emitting from her chest. She pulled out the shell from underneath her jacket. It glowed as if it knew Mal needed help; it was as if it was a sign from the universe telling her that Mal was worth helping.

She rushed forward, close enough for Mal to hear her. "Come on, Mal! I'm right here, girl. Get up and take down that princess!" Uma encouraged. "Regain your might and ignite!"

Mal blinked in surprise, but then she glanced at the ember, finding it glittering to life. Hades's ember burned brightly like the blue firey hair on his head, emitting more power than the scepter could grasp. Finally, Mal can end this.

With the power of Hades and Maleficent running in her veins, Mal roared with a fiery rage, holding the ember out as a blast of energy shot at Audrey. Pink and blue lit up the night sky, swirling and intertwining within itself. Like woven strings connecting each magic, the power of Hades and Maleficent was more powerful than a princess wielding the scepter.

"You got this girl!"

"Come on, Mal!"

They cheered on the dragon from down below, watching the blue power pushing Audrey's power shorter. With one last growl, Mal pushes another wave of energy that knocks Audrey's power out; the princess falls down. Down below, the three villains cheered in triumph, celebrating as they excitedly screamed and embraced each other.

Mal goes to land on the top of the castle, where Audrey is defeated; a puff of smoke explodes, and the dragon disappears.

They did it.