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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟑
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐌

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Everyone kept their eyes glued to Ben and Uma as she whispered a few inaudible things to him. Throughout their entire conversation, the daughter of Ursula forced the King of Auradon to keep eye contact with her. Despite the situation they were in, Rylee couldn't help but smile at the blank expression on Ben's face. It definitely didn't match the annoyed one on Uma's. When the Fitzherbert girl turned her attention back towards Mal, she found the Faery girl staring at the stained-glass window. The purple-haired girl's eyes scanned it over for a moment longer before her attention fell back on the pair standing in front of her.

"Ben," Mal called out, causing him and Uma to look towards her as she approached them, "look at me."

"No, look at me," the daughter of Ursula demanded after spinning back around to face the king, "you love me, remember?"

"No, you don't," the daughter of Maleficent stated while Uma continued to argue, "Ben, look at me."

"Bring down the barrier now!" Uma shouted at Fairy Godmother when her efforts to keep the King of Auradon under her control were proven futile.

"I do not take orders from you!" Fairy Godmother exclaimed while doing her best to keep her emotions in check.

"I never told you that I loved you because I thought that I wasn't good enough," the purple-haired girl told the brunette boy while everyone continued to watch them with mixed emotions on their faces, "and I thought that it was only a matter of time before you realized that yourself. But, Ben, that's me," she paused to gesture toward the stained-glass window behind him, "I'm part Isle and part Auradon."

"I told you that nothing is perfect in Auradon," Rylee whispered to Skyler, Holly, and Gabby, causing a small laugh to pass over Morgan's lips while smiles formed on Auradon's newest residents' faces.

They were soon drawn back to the scene in front of them by the awes of the crowd. The smiles on their faces did nothing but grow at the sight of Mal and Ben sharing a kiss. Uma looked around at those surrounding her with anger in her eyes before her attention fell back on the couple in front of her. As soon as they ended their moment, the daughter of Maleficent grinned up at the King of Auradon, who was looking at her with a small smile on his face.

"True love's kiss," Evie muttered under her breath after watching Mal and Ben place their foreheads together, "works every time."

"Ugh! Give it to me!" Uma shouted as soon as she realized her spell was broken before he lunged toward Fairy Godmother to grab the wand. However, her efforts proved futile when Gabby, Skyler, and Holly placed themselves between her and the brunette woman.

"Nice try, Shrimpy," Rylee told her with a smirk on her face while Morgan and Pete laughed beside her, causing the daughter of Ursula to send them one final glare.

"Guards! Seize her!" Fairy Godmother shouted, only for Uma to spin around and run towards the side of the boat.

The crowd didn't hesitate to follow her until she reached the railing. Just as everyone began to surround her, Mal placed herself between them and Uma before pleading with them to stop. The two girls just stared at each other for a long moment in an uncomfortable silence before the daughter of Maleficent broke it.

"Uma, I know you," the purple-haired girl told the daughter of Ursula before taking a few steps toward her, "you are so much more than just a villain. And you have to believe me because I've been there. Do not let your pride get in the way of something that you really want."

Silence surrounded them once again as Uma glared into Mal's pleading eyes. It wasn't long after that when the shell around the teal-haired girl's neck began to glow. That caused a wicked grin to appear on the daughter of Ursula's face before she turned and dove into the water. Everyone rushed towards the railing and looked down into the water for any sign of Uma, only to be greeted by the dark sea.

"Where is she?" Rylee muttered under her breath as her eyes continued to scan over the water below her.

"There!" Morgan exclaimed while pointing to a whirlpool forming just a few yards away from the boat.

"Here we go," Holly sighed before she looked over at Skyler and Gabby, "another one of Uma's over-the-top tantrums."

Despite wanting to laugh at the daughter of the Queen of Hearts' comment, Rylee kept her lips sealed as she watched the whirlpool continue to grow. It wasn't long after that when the forming bubble burst, resulting in everyone on the boat getting soaked. Rylee and Morgan instantly shared a concerned look before they looked back at the water where Uma was, except the teal-haired girl looked different. Eight tentacles were where her legs were supposed to be.

"True love's kiss won't defeat this," the daughter of Ursula mocked while everyone continued to stare at her with wide eyes and slacked jaws, "the world will know my name!"

The next thing anyone knew, one of her tentacles came flying at them. Everyone instantly ducked to avoid getting it while Uma's laughter continued to fill the air. When her second attack came, everyone dodged it once again, but not everyone was lucky that time. A scream cut through the air before Rylee looked up to see Uma's tentacle wrapped around Gabby's waist and pulled her over.

"Gabby!" Rylee shouted before pulling herself over the railing and jumping in after the daughter of Mother Gothel.

The Fitzherbert girl heard her name being called as she fell toward the sea. Her mind immediately thought of Pete, Jay, and Carlos holding back Morgan and Ben before she hit the water. It wasn't long before she spotted Gabby's falling figure then the princess swam as fast as she could toward her. Rylee just barely managed to get the Gothel girl in her arms before she swam back to the surface. When she emerged from the water, the Fitzherbert girl spotted a purple dragon flying through the sky above them.

Before the princess had a chance to figure out what was going on, her name was being shouted from somewhere above. Rylee looked toward the boat just in time to see a rope ladder being dropped down the side. The Fitzherbert girl began swimming toward it while trying to keep her fear of being hit by a tentacle or fireball at bay.

"Rylee?" a small voice said, causing the girl in question to look down at Gabby before the Gothel girl sent her a small smile, "thank you."

The Fitzherbert girl instantly returned the smile before she guided the raven-haired girl toward the ladder. Rylee watched for a moment as Gabby struggled up then started to follow her when she got halfway up. The second the blonde girl reached the railing, a pair of hands grabbed her arms and pulled her onto the boat.

"Don't you ever do that again," Jay told her before he and Carlos pulled in for a tight hug while Holly and Skyler did the same with Gabby.

"I don't plan on it," Rylee whispered through her heavy breathing while trying to regain her strength.

When the sound of clapping began to fill the air, Rylee broke out of Jay and Carlos' grasp before turning to see Ben climbing over the railing. It wasn't long after that when everyone's attention turned toward the dragon as it landed on the deck of the boat. Purple smoke soon began to surround the beast until it vanished, leaving Mal in its place. and, when it vanishes, Mal stands in its place. Rylee just stared at the purple-haired girl for a long moment before turning her attention toward her friends, only for them to send her a simple shrug.

A huge smile formed on Mal's face before she curtsied toward Ben, who returned her gesture with a bow. Cheering filled the air once again as two royal guards escorted the daughter of Maleficent down the steps and toward Evie. The two girls had an inaudible conversation before the blue-haired girl took her friend's hand and guided her toward Ben. The king of Auradon instantly pulled Mal in for a kiss before they ended their moment and turned to face everyone who surrounded them.

"I owe you guys so much," Ben told them, earning laughs from his friends while each of them responded in their own way before he continued speaking, "if there's anything that you need or anything I could do for you."

"Um, actually. There is Ben," Evie announced as she took a few steps closer to the Beast boy, "I know a girl who'd...who'd really love to come to Auradon. It's Drizella's daughter, Dizzy. She's like a little sister to me."

A small smile instantly formed on the King of Auradon's face before he opened his mouth to respond. "Then she should come."

"Okay!" the daughter of the Evil Queen responded before letting out a laugh, "okay, great!"

As smiles began to form on everyone's faces, a thought popped into Rylee's head. The Fitzherbert girl looked over to Morgan to voice her idea to her friend, only to find her staring right back at her. It didn't take a genius to know they were thinking the exact same thing.

"Ben," the blonde girl spoke, drawing the King of Auradon's attention toward her and Morgan before she continued, "there's something we need as well."

"Anything to make up for what I said to you guys back on the Isle," the Beast boy told them, not bothering to hide the guilt in his voice.

"We met a lot of kids on the Isle who would really love it here," Rylee told him then glanced over at Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos, "and I'm sure they would agree."

"A lot of kids on that island deserve a second chance," Morgan added before Gabby, Holly, and Skyler stepped up to stand beside the two princesses

"We can make you a list," the three of them said in unison, making the smile on Ben's face grow even bigger.

"Yes. Yes, absolutely. Please," the King of Auradon responded before his attention turned back to his two best friends, "that is why I sent you over, after all."

Everyone instantly applauded as smiles formed on their faces. Rylee and Morgan instantly turned their attention toward each other before sharing an embrace. As soon as they ended their hug, they spotted one of the royal guards making his way through the crowd before stopping in front of Mal.

"Lady Mal," he greeted the purple-haired girl then revealed a familiar book in his hand, "we found your spellbook below deck. Uma had it."

"Oh, uh," Mal muttered as she stared at the book in her hands before letting out a long sigh and looking up at Ben, "you know, this seems like the kinda thing that belongs in the hands of Fairy Godmother. Fairy Godmother!"

"Okay. That's me," the brunette woman said while pushing her way through the crowd before she reached the daughter of Maleficent, "thank you. Mhm."

"This belongs to the museum," the purple-haired girl stated with a smile on her face before she held it out toward Fairy Godmother.

"It does, yes," the woman in blue told Mal as the former took it into her hands, "and I'm gonna take it."

"Go for it," Mal responded as Fairy Godmother turned and walked away before the former's attention moved back toward Ben, "I'm not gonna be needing it anymore."

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