So Just Save Yourself (I'll Hold Them Back)

You're the broken glass in the morning light
Be a burning star if it takes all night
So just save yourself and I'll hold them back tonight

- Save Yourself and I'll Hold Them Back, MCR

When he saw Evie, all Ben could see was curiosity and freedom on her face. Dark blue hair, brown eyes and brown skin, she was just like Hades told him. A girl walking among mortals, something she probably did not know. She had asked Ben, with fear in her brown eyes if she could have her own room the first day she got here.

"Mal and I aren't exactly best friends." Ben didn't push, even though he was curious but he didn't push Evie. He never saw her around Mal or Jay, always sticking with Carlos, the youngest of the bunch. She didn't hang out with the other VK's who had their heads together in a whisper, only Carlos De Vill. From what Fair Godmother could hear and see, Mal always tried to rile Evie up or frighten her. Evie usually ignored Mal, continuing to look straight ahead and do the lesson on the board.

She did, however, befriend Doug, Dopey's son, and Lonnie, Mulan and Li Shang's daughter. Doug helped her out with homework and joked along with her and Lonnie. Ben could see Evie was thriving and hoped Lord Hades was happy as well. somehow Audrey gave some of the VK's a chance. Mal wouldn't be one of them and Ben wouldn't blame her but he was glad his childhood friend was giving them a chance. In that instant, Audrey and Evie clicked, instantly becoming friends.

Evie, Lonnie, and Audrey.

They laughed and joked like they've been best friends for years. Always with one another. Red, Pink and Blue, the colors that would be seen around the halls of Auradon Prep. Something Ben could see was good for both girls, especially Evie. She was finally finding herself in Auradon along with Carol and Jay who were on the Tourney team. They were thriving here and Ben was happy for them.

There was also something different. It was the way they, Audrey and Evie spoke to one another, the way they always snuck glances as if no one was watching. It was the way he saw his parents always around one another or Snow with Florian.

Ben pulled Audrey aside one day, said if they could go for a walk. It was quiet in Auradon alway perfectly peaceful. He knew Audrey since they could walk, always sticking to one another. So he knew when Audrey was struggling with the way her foot jiggled and denied that she was anxious. She was.

"You like her." He said teasingly and it made Audrey let out a smile. "It's okay, go for it." It startled Audrey because it also startled him as well. This would no doubt cause rumors to swirl but he would always be there to shield her just like Audrey shielded him from time to times with her loud voice and heels. They would always be friends forever and this would be it. They weren't a couple but Ben and Audrey would always stick by each other.

There was a knock on his door, days before the Tourney game. Ben thought it would be Audrey ready to give him a pep talk as she always did before every game to settle his nerves but to his surprise, it was Carlos and Evie. Both had nervous looks on their faces, Evie looked like she'd been crying as well. He beckoned them inside and they all sat down.

All of a sudden everything came tumbling out of Evie, fresh tears streaming down her face. Carlos looked pale and fidgeting with his fingers.

Mal wanted the wand. Scratch that, Maleficent wanted the wand to get revenge on the royals of Auradon. Once, Mal got the wand and summoned her mother, the magical barrier on the Isle would break, setting all the villans free to enact their revenge. "The Age of Heroes would be over and the rise of Evil will begin," Carlos told Ben that those were Maleficent's words to them before leaving the Isle.

It sent chills down Ben's spine as he realized how diabolical Maleficent still was, years after the heroes caged her along with the rest of the villains. If this happened, truly were to come, it would be the end of Auradon.

"You aren't going to be sent back but," He paused looking at Evie and Carlos, who must have been-are brave for doing this against Maleficent. An act of rebellion on their part because they exactly knew what it felt like living with their mothers, under the eyes of Maleficent and wouldn't wish it on Auradon. "I'm going to help you make sure Maleficent won't be able to get her hands on the wand or any other villain. I promise." He could see in their eyes that they trusted Ben on his words, Evie with her solemn golden brown eyes that were glowing eerily similar to another pair of eyes Ben knew and Carlos' brown eyes that wanted to believe that this could be true.

It was true and Ben knew exactly where to start.

The Tourney game would have to wait, knowing this was much more important. The Best grunted in agreement with the prince.

Ben texted SOS to his friends and after a few minutes, they sat there stunned at Carol's and Evie's tale just like Ben was. Anger, fear, and wariness all clouded around them but Ben could see sympathy for the two VK's while they weren't willing participants in the plan, they did, however, live under the rule of Maleficent. They knew exactly how she acted among the villains of the Isle, how she saw Auradon as no more than a chess board that needed to be knocked down to its core. She wanted to set Auradon on fire, leaving no mercy-starting with King Adam and ending with Audrey's parents.

"What are we going to do?" There was no fear in Evie's voice as she responded to Doug. "We rebel, we stop this plan before its enacted."

"How?" Carlos' voice was full of desperation. "Unless you think of a way to stop Mal from blindly giving mommy dearest the wand, how are we going to do this?"

"Hades." Ben almost choked on the air in the room. Everyone else looked skeptical and fearful at what Evie just said except Carlos who looked at her with grit teeth. "No."

"He was the one to bring back the villains because Beast thought it was a brilliant idea to resurrect the dead ones. So, why not have the lord of the underworld bring the villains back to hell? Think about it, Hades is the only villain Maleficent herself is terrified because he is the only being that could snap his fingers and she'll be back in a place where she'll have no control over. Carlos, this is our only chance to help Auradon before the threat is large enough to stop. We do this-"

"We do this, Evie and we'll be seen as traitors. Everyone that has been associated with us on the Isle will be hunted down. I can't risk that with Freddie."

Evie's eyes softened. She knew that Freddie was a well-kept secret, a half-sister that meant the world to Carlos, one that would be in danger if word about their plan to stop Maleficent got back to the Isle. "It won't happen to her."

She turned to Ben. He has been nothing but kind and welcoming to her since she got here and was glad that he somehow believe them. She touched the necklace, Uma's necklace. The promise was still there as she squeezed the shell in her hand. Don't forget me.

"I need to send a message, discreetly to the Isle. If we do this, I need to make sure the people we care on the Isle get somewhere safe." Ben nodded. "I may know a way for them to get out of there without raising alarms." Evie's eyes lit up. Hope spread inside her as she looked at everyone. It was surreal, seeing the children of heroes' and villains uniting for a fight, a rebellion that was bubbling sixteen years too late.

Uma,

I know it seems crazy for me to write to you from Auradon but you need to read my words carefully. A rebellion is starting, I and my friends are trying to stop Maleficent from getting the wand, to set hell on earth. My friend, my sister in anything but blood, I need you to round up the smaller children, Dizzy Tremain, Anthony Tremaine, Freddie Facilier and the child of Hans, the baby Hayden. Bring your crew, knives, swords, guns, and anything to fight and run in the dead of the night when no one can stop you. Leave no trace, no sign to where you've gone. Leave it in the bottom of the murky waters, let them think of another story. There will be a boat called the SS Diane, a grey ship that brings the garbage to the Isle at the stroke of midnight. With whatever you got, and what the children have, stow away on the boat until you reach land. There, a car will be waiting with a man called Kristoff, he'll be taking you to Arendelle where you will be safe until things blow over. Trust me Uma. Get them out of here, get yourself out NOW.

Save yourself and I'll hold them all back.

-Evie.

Uma saw the message in a bottle, thinking it was Harry wanting her to come over. She realized it was Evie's handwriting and instantly knew something was wrong. She could and did stand there wondering how in the name of hell did she manage to get a message inside the dome but panicked because the way Evie wrote this, Uma knew there was no time. She made sure the letter was safely tucked inside the pocket of her jacket as she ran to Gil's house. They went to Harry and then started rounding up the children on by one. By the time Uma got ahold of little Hayden, it was almost midnight, when the horns of the ship sounded signaling its immediate arrival. Uma told them to wait, telling Harry that they had to make sure they were never found, so she ripped up a bit of her shirt and cut the palm of her hand making it seem she did the unspeakable at the edge of the cliff into the murky waters.

Her mother would believe it, she never did love Uma.

They dashed over, with Hayden in her arms and Freddy, tightly holding onto Harry's neck for dear life, towards the Tremain residents. There they found Gil helping quietly pack the children's bags with the help of Anastasia. She looked at them, a woman that had her happily ever after with a baker taken away with a flourish of a pen. She had tears silently running down her cheeks as she told Anthony to take care of Dizzy, that they were family no matter what and to be himself in Auradon. To be kind and brave, those words that were once uttered towards her by a girl with blue eyes and golden hair, once upon a time.

Uma locked eyes with the wicked step-sister of Cinderella, a woman that was once living and was now hollowed out by the Isle, her sister, and her mother. She locked eyes onto Uma and she knew that this would be the last time Anastasia would be seen. She would help them get on the ship, kiss her children on last time as dawn approached and the sound of Ursula screaming her name broke through the Isle. Uma would remember Anastasia as a woman that deserved so much better than what the fates gave her. They all did but she deserved so much more.

In the morning the hunt would begin for the children that escaped the Isle. Whispers of Uma dying at the rocky shores seemed to be real when blood was found and a jagged bottle covered in the red liquid by the cliff. Anastasia would be severely punished by Maleficent for being a traitor, helping some of the children escape, beaten and close to death. A scream echoed throughout the Isle, Anastasia Tremain was dead as the fire scorched her skin and bruises littered her body. She wouldn't utter a word to the whereabouts of her children. She would never utter a single word again.

The villains did not know, however, that Circe-stubborn, angry, kindhearted Circe saw what the mortal woman did and made sure she did not die in pain but in peace. Macaria was called upon Circe's request and made sure she died a peaceful death, where hopefully she would be granted Elysium because Anastasia Tremain died a heroes death when she helped Uma escape.

But the children didn't know. None of them knew.

All they knew was that they were long gone.

They were headed towards freedom, they were headed towards Auradon.