Death's Daughter: A Disney's Descendants Story

A World of Fears

     The group of travelers continued their journey through a damp corridor. Following the machines directions at every beep.
     Jay dragged his feet along the crumbly marble floor, "How much further is the Dragon's Eye? My feet are killing me." he moaned.
     "Jay, we've all just walked the same distance and faced the same things. Trust me you're not the only one whose feet are hurting," said Hesper.
     "Yeah, I think my feet have blisters on them," Carlos added, stopping for a moment to touch his feet and hiss in pain.
     They continued walking in silence until they came to a set of unlike all the other doors they had come across. These were big steel ones with two skulls and cross bones on either side.
     "The machine says," Carlos gulped. "To go through there."
     "Do we have to? Maybe there's a shortcut that—" Jay began, but was cut off by Mal.
     "If the machine says the Dragon's Eye is through these doors, then it's through these doors. End of discussion," Mal ordered, pulling open the doors.
     Entering the next room, was like entering a hot sauna.
     "Dude, is this where your mother goes when she goes to the spa?" Jay asked, wiping his brow.
     "I'm pretty sure my mother doesn't go all the way to the Forbidden Fortress for her spa weekends!" Carlos hissed.
     "How is it possible that we've been walking through a freezing cold castle, and yet this room is like a sauna?" Evie asked, fanning herself with her cape.
    "I don't think this was a part of my mother's castle," Mal said, looking around their new found surroundings.
    "This place seems familiar. Like I know it from somewhere," Hesper muttered to herself. Everything around them was dark and gloomy. And she could have sworn she could hear other voices speaking to her. Hesper brushed them away, still trying to figure out where she was.
     Looking around, she could practically feel her mind racing. It stopped abruptly when she found the answer. She gasped.
    "The Underworld!" Hesper shouted.
    Her traveling companions looked at her, trying to take in what she had just said. "That's not possible," Mal said, bluntly.
     "Yeah, after your father was moved to Isle nobody ruled the Underworld. It was abandoned," Evie said.
     "After my father was taken away from the Underworld, Zeus, the King of the Gods, put a lock on the Underworld, so no one could get in, or out, unless given his word. This is still a final resting place, it just doesn't have a ruler anymore," Hesper explained. "What doesn't add up is why we're here now."
     "Maybe it's another test," Carlos suggested. Just as he said that a pedestal rose up from the ground in the center of the room. Cautiously the five slowly walked toward the pedestal, Carlos in the lead surprisingly.
     Suddenly a purple bubble surrounded Carlos. He screamed. "Stay back, get away from me!" He tried to run, but didn't get anywhere. "Somebody! Anybody! Help!"
     The four outside, stared at him, confused as to what he was seeing. Jay took a step forward to try and reach Carlos, but a purple bubble surrounded him as well. He started patting his pockets, and got a pained look on his face. "I-I'll get the money back, just give me a few more days."
     "What's going on?" Evie whimpered.
     "I'm not sure. But don't move. That's when the bubbles seem to surround you," Hesper said, calmly.
     "But we can't get to the pedestal if we can't move," Mal argued.
     Hesper sighed. "We'll find a way to get to the pedestal, and then somehow release Carlos and Jay from," Hesper paused looking at the two bubbles that were still on the ground, but noticed that Carlos's was beginning to rise. "Whatever it is there in."
     "Okay, we need a plan. Hesper, you know the most about the Underworld, any ideas?" asked Mal.
     Hesper thought for a moment. Her father didn't like to talk about the Underworld. It was only a reminder of just how powerful he once was. But that didn't stop her. She was able to get information out of Pain and Panic, who had been easily persuaded with food from the Slop Shop.
     "It's hard; I don't see any spirits in this area. Otherwise we could ask them what's going on."
     All of the sudden the ground began to shake, the three girls had no choice but to move when pieces of rock began to fall, almost crushing them. Evie fell on her rear end, and a purple bubble surrounded her. She began to sob. "Where did I go wrong?"
     A purple bubble rose up from the ground, and headed straight for Mal. She put her hands up waiting for the impact. Mal looked as though she was staring at someone, and Hesper wasn't sure, but she thought Mals eye's seemed glossier than usual.
    Hesper looked around at her four companions. All of them looked scared, or upset in their bubbles. That was when Hesper realized she wasn't in a bubble like the others even though she had moved. A giant bolder was heading right towards her, so she dove to the side.
    Hesper stood up, brushing herself off. It soon came to her attention that she was immune to the bubbles somehow. Without wasting any more time, Hesper ran to the pedestal and examined it. There were no pictures, no writing, it was...plain. Hesper furrowed her brow; this wasn't going to help her. She gently brushed one of her hands over the top's surface.
     Suddenly there was a booming clash of thunder. Hesper looked behind her. The other's seemed unaffected by the deafening thunder. They were complexly unaware of what was happening outside their bubbles.
     "Welcome, daughter of Hades," she heard a voice boom. Hesper whipped her head around, but found nobody.
     "Who are you?" she demanded.
     "Down here, nobody important. But to you and your friends, crucial."
     Hesper looked back over at the four descendants, who she had been traveling with. They weren't friends. Villain's couldn't have friends. She was simply traveling with them. Nothing more. But yet she felt she had to protect them, from whatever it was they were facing.
     "What did you do to them?" She asked through gritted teeth,
     The voice chuckled darkly. "Oh, you like it? Their my own creation. Those bubbles make people see their worst fear. You see how the small boy is rising? That means that his fear is growing. And the more his fear grows, the more the bubbles feed off it. And once his fear is at the maximum level, the fear takes over his body, and he ceases to exist."
     Hesper froze. Fear. One of the most powerful weapons when used properly. She should know. Her father had used it very well in his schemes.
     "You have to let them go," She barked at the voice, wherever it was.
     "Well, what's the fun in that." Hesper could tell this voice was unlike the any of the other mysterious voices they had encountered. The others simply gave them a riddle, and punished them if they were wrong.
     Unlike the Gargoyles, Cave of Wonders, and Magic Mirror, this voice had a soul.
     "What do you want?" Hesper demanded.
     "If you're so concerned about your companion's safety, then all you have to do is give up an important part of you and place it on the pedestal."
     "An important part of me? What does that mean?" Hesper began to ponder any possibilities.
     "Tick Tock. Your last friends bubble just left the ground."
     Hesper turned and saw Mal's bubble rising off the ground. She had to think of an answer, and fast.

      Carlos looked around. He was in his house again. How did I get here?
      He entered the living room and froze. Sitting there were about 20 dogs. Each of them a different breed. One of them sniffed the air and turned its head to where Carlos stood. Its eyes were blood red, staring directly at him. He barked. All the other dogs turned to Carlos. Each one of their eyes was the same red. Suddenly they charged at him. Carlos screamed.
     "Stay back! Get away from me!" He yelled. Carlos tried to run, but found that his feet wouldn't move. The dogs rushed at him. "Somebody! Anybody! Help!"

     Jay was back on the Isle. He walked into his father's shop, and was surprised to see in empty. Not a shilling of gold to be seen. Suddenly his father entered the room, a glum look on his face. He seemed to turn angry when he saw Jay. "You!" he pointed his finger at his son. "You're the cause of all this! We're broke because you couldn't keep one stinking promise!"
     Jay quickly felt his pockets. They were empty. "I promise I'll get the money, back just give me a few days. We'll be living like kings in no time."
     His father shook his head. "Too late, Ursula already bought the shop. We're done for Jay."

     Evie sat in a drafty cabin, one she had never seen before. She looked to a nearby shelf and noticed a picture of her and a troll at an alter. Evie was wearing wedding dress, and the troll a tuxedo. She noticed how unhappy she looked in the picture. Evie read the inscription in the picture frame.
     'My dear Evie, You failed at being even the second fairest of them all. I wish only the worst with you and your new husband, who might I add, ISN'T A PRINCE!
      Sincerely, Mother.'
     Evie felt like she wanted to cry. She wasn't pretty any more. She hadn't married a prince. And her husband was a troll. "Where did I go wrong?" she whimpered.

     Mal was face to face with her mother, who was staring disdainfully at her. "Well, Well. Look who it is. My former daughter. I thought I told you never to step foot in this castle again," Maleficent sighed. "I should have known you'd be back. You can't even survive on your own. You're just a pathetic, weak, and disappointing girl. You don't even deserve to have part of my name..."
     On and on it went. Maleficent pointing out all of Mal's flaws. Mal couldn't even believe it when she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

     Hesper was racking at her mind. Finally she decided to question the voice again. "Give me something else to work off of, that wasn't enough!"
     There was no answer
     Hesper decided to think a little deeper. What was something that made up a part of who she was? Her eyes drifted to the bracelet on her wrist.
     It was the only reminder she had of her mother. The mother she once had, but was gone now. That bracelet still made her feel that her mother could be out there. That bracelet had brought her so many emotions.
     Pain. Loneliness. Curiosity. Hate. Even Happiness.
     Those were just some of the emotions that made her who she was. She never would have understood them as much as she did if it wasn't for the bracelet.
    That was it. The bracelet was the answer. The bracelet was an important part of her. But how could she give it up? It was the only reminder she had of her long lost mother.
    She looked back at her 'friends' and saw that they were nearing the ceiling.
    Turning back to the pedestal she spoke. "If I give you the bracelet, you will free my companions from the fears and grant us safe passage through the Underworld."
    There was no answer for a moment. Like the Voice was considering the offer. "I suppose."
     Hesper took that as a yes. Carefully she removed the bracelet from her wrist and placed it on the pedestal. There was another loud roar of thunder, but this time the bubbles popped at the sound. Jay, Evie, Mal, and Carlos landed on the floor with a thud. They groaned in pain.
     Hesper would have gone to help them except that beneath her, the ground had given out. She was dangling above a body of swirling green water. Her hands were gripping onto the ledge.
    "Enjoy your stay in the River Styx," she heard the voice whisper in her ear. Her eyes bulged. This was where her father had met his fate before the Isle.
     This couldn't really be the River Styx? It's just an illusion. But dad always said how powerful fear is and my fear of drowning is very strong. Could it be so strong to mix with Maleficent's magic and create the real thing?
     "Help! Guys are you there?" She called. There was no answer, just the sound of hustled footsteps. Her four companions finally came into eye sight and she couldn't help but sigh in relief.
     "What is this?" Jay asked, looking past Hesper and towards the green water.
     "It's the River Styx, where my father met his fate before the Isle of the Lost." Hesper replied quickly.
     "Hesper it's an illusion," Mal said.
     "I don't think it's an illusion. If it was I wouldn't be able to here the mourning cries of all the spirits below," Hesper responded frantically. "Now help me up!"
     Evie and Jay each grabbed one of Hesper's hands and hoisted her back onto their level. As they did a lose rock on the cliff fell and dropped into the River Styx. The spirits fought over who would get it, and dragged it beneath the surface with them.
    Carlos face paled, "Okay, maybe it is real."
     "Let's get out of here before the voice comes back," Hesper said, turning to leave.
    "What voice?" Mal asked.
     "Long story," she replied. The others walked out ahead of her. Before leaving Hesper took one last look back at the room, and sighed when she saw the pedestal was gone.
     "Goodbye mom," she whispered.