Left Behind - Descendants (♡Jay)

Chapter 37

Myra stood in the cave entrance, about an hour too late from when Hades told her to be there, as was mandatory on the Isle.  As always Myra had left the headlamp where they stood at the entrance, not thinking she needed one, but it turned out her short time in Auradon had effected her eyes more than she thought. Seeing where she was heading got significantly harder than she remembered. Fortunately she had Lunch, who's eyesight didn't seem to be compromised all that much. The little animal would softly pull on one of her earlobes every time she would head into the wrong direction. 
     Finally Myra entered the main cave, the lights from a blue chandelier illuminating the room. As she looked around, Myra could tell Hades' place hadn't changed at all since the last time she had been there. Well, except maybe for a shortage of food cans. The one thing missing from the place was Hades himself. Myra rolled her eyes. Of course the guy wasn't there when he told her to be. Annoyed, the girl let herself sink down on the couch, head resting on the arm rest of one side while plopping her feet on the other. Lunch, a little on edge, squeaked disagreeing at her, he did not like the idea of Hades walking in on her making herself at home in his cave. 
     "Don't worry, Lunch. He's probably not gonna be back-"
     "What did I say about rats on the furniture?" Hades' annoyed voice boomed through the room, scaring Myra. The young woman jumped up, almost dropping her pet. 
     "Sorry." 
     "That's what I thought." The man mumbled as he walked passed Myra. Paying no more attention to her. The girl rolled her eyes, trying her best not to show the relieve she felt that he hadn't snapped at her for laying on his couch without permission. 
     "So, what do you want from me today?" Myra asked after being ignored for five minutes. "Canned soup, rotten fruit, another magical artifact-" 
     The blue haired man was looking for something in one of his cabinets while he answered. "Nah, you'll just break it again." 
     Myra crossed her arms over her chest. "I doubt it, unless you got some more of that pink lightning in there- ow, wait. You'll need magic for that." 
     Hades snapped around, arm outstretched, clenching his fist closed. Myra braised herself for the burning pain, but it never came. All she could feel was a sizzling against her skin as the blue light flickered a few times. An angry growl came out of Hades' throat as he turned around, grabbed a metal can and threw it at Myra. The girl ducked out of the way, relieved yet again that she had been lucky. "You need to lose the attitude, Darling." 
     Not wanting to push her luck for the third time within twenty minutes, Myra made a curtsy. "As you wish, Master." 
     Hades' eyes almost turned entirely white as he rolled them. "Shut it and go steal bread or- whatever it is you do to get it." 
     "Did you want any specific kind of bread, my liege?" 
     "Just get out now I still allow you to walk on two legs." 
     Myra bowed, looking at the ground as she walked backwards into the direction of the exit. Opening her mouth to respond, but Hades stopped her. 
     "Don't test me." 
     There was a smirk on Myra's lips as she stood up again, Hades caught a glimpse of it right before she turned the corner. The recording of a barking, three headed dog started to fade away again the further Myra walked back into the darkness of the tunnel.
     Lunch had curled around her neck, not intending on helping his companion again after not listening to him about the couch. Myra reached into one of her pockets and pulled out one of the grapes Carlos had given her and held it in front of the animal as a peace offering. Of course the little creature did not fall for it and just re-positioned, turning his back to the piece of fruit.  "Com'n Lunch, really?" She whispered, not wanting her voice to echo against the walls so Hades could hear her. But it already seemed too late. 
     "Ooooowww, Mirabella!" The God's voice sing-songed through the cave.
     "Shit." She let out under her breath, already turning around to head back.
     "Change of plans." Hades said, somehow knowing Myra had walked back into the room without looking away from the TV screen in front of him. As the girl walked around him to look at the screen over his shoulder he continued, malicious pleasure in his voice. "Let's see what your friends are up to back in Auradon." 
     On the screen Myra could see Snow White, again in one of her over the top outfits reporting over a royal event. Mal, wearing a beautiful purple dress and small, golden tiara, walked up a staircase that led up to a balcony together with King Ben; who wore a blue suite and his crown that almost looked a little too big for him. Both had big smiles on their faces.
     The balcony looked out over a square filled with people, princesses in stunning dresses and princes in form fitting suits. Everyone was clapping and cheering for the royal couple. All except for the yellow suit wearing lackeys, who stood with serious expressions. 
     Looking at the screen Myra's chest tightened. "Nah, I'll just go get that brea-"
     "No way." Hades interrupted her. "You're gonna watch this. I mean, it's the least thing I can do after taking you away from them so ruthlessly." There was fake generosity in his tone. He wasn't doing this to make her feel better, he was doing it to make her feel miserable, that much was obvious.
     Knowing she did have no say in the matter, Myra complied. Standing behind Hades as he sat on his couch and both watched the screen. 
     "Lady Mal and I," Ben started speaking, the noise of the audience dying down as he did. "Want to thank you all for celebrating our engagement with us tonight." Now the camera was focused only on the balcony Myra could see the former King and Queen on the couple's left and Fairy Godmother on their right. 
     "I couldn't be prouder or happier to call you my Queen." Mal looked down, flustered by her fiance's words. Myra smiled, she was happy for her friends, even if she couldn't be there with them, they still got their Happily Ever Afters. 
     "So..." Ben raised his glass. "Raise your glasses; to our future Queen of Auradon." The camera switched angles, now showing the crowd. Everyone on the square had their glasses raised as they repeated Ben's words.
     "Ow, ow, ow! Look!" Hades exploded with enthusiasm. "Isn't that that guy that kissed you and you then pushed into the lake?"
     Myra's stomach turned as she saw him, standing between Carlos and Evie. All of them looked amazing, but Myra was only able to focus on Jay. He wore a dark red shirt and pants with golden details, over the red he had pulled a black blazer with the same golden threat at the edges, his hair was pulled to the top of his head in a tight bun; a single red earring glistening in the light of the sun.
     "I don't know..." Hades mumbled, scratching beneath his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Maybe it's not him after all... He looks fine. You'd think he would look less happy after you broke his heart. Don't you?"
     Myra heard his words but didn't have it in her to respond. In the few seconds she could see him on screen, she had searched his chest for traces of her ring, but she saw nothing. No silver glimmering between the red and gold nor was there a black cord around his neck visible. Her heart sank as she clenched her hands into fists, at that moment she was happy she had let all her tears out the night before with Uma. 
     The people of Auradon all took a sip from their drinks before the crowd busted out laughing at something Carlos and Jay had said. Unfortunately the words had been lost to the camera and so to everyone watching it on their TVs. 
     After the laughter had died down, everyone looked at Mal expectantly. Now the camera's were fully focused on his daughter, Hades' posture changed. Myra could see the longing for his daughter flicker in his eyes for just a second. He was just as lonely as she was. Even more since she still had Uma and the others. He had no one but her by his side. Myra didn't think that was a good reason for keeping her as a slave, but it did stir something inside of her.
     There had been a long pause as Mal looked down at the people below her. Her people. All waiting for her to speak to them, not exactly knowing what they wanted to hear their future Queen say, but wanting to hear it non the less. Mal's smile faltered and disappeared. "I cant." Fear flared up in Ben's eyes, even though he tried to hide it almost immediately. Gasps of shock went through the crowd, even Hades seemed as surprised as Myra seeing he didn't command on it at all; only leaning forward, his hands clasped together on his knees. 
     "I can't be Queen of Auradon." More shock went through the room. Ben placed a hand on Mal's, whispering something to her.
     "What the hell is she doing?" Myra mumbled to herself, only to immediately get shushed by Hades, seeing Mal turned back to the crowd and spoke up. Determination filled her words. 
     "We made a decision... To close the barrier forever. And it was my idea." More murmurs went through the crowd, some disapproving, some definitely approving. Which didn't help the hopelessness Myra felt. 
     "But it's wrong."
     Damn right it is. Myra thought, but held it to herself, not wanting to disturb Hades again. Especially since she had no idea how he was responding to the news. 
     Silence fell once more over the people of Auradon, everyone hanging on to every word that left Mal's lips. "I've learned, that you can't live in fear... because it doesn't actually protect you from anything." The young woman chuckled. She was nervous, a slight tremble in her voice, but she continued anyway. "You never know where the bad is gonna come from, and you never know where the heroes are gonna come from either." 
     Myra looked down at Hades, the God had started to lean his face in his hands. She could see his daughter's words meant something to him at the way his eyes were glued on the screen, mumbling into his hands. Myra wondered if he even still was aware of her presence at all. 
     "Without Uma and her pirates, Auradon would be gone. Without Myra- daughter of the Pied Piper and Morgana- I wouldn't be here." Myra frowned, what was she talking about? Was that about that moment on the tower? Had it really been that bad for Mal? She hadn't even realized it at that moment, way too busy trying not to fall to her death.
     "And without Hades..." There was a short pause as she gathered her courage to continue. Ben placed his hand on Mal's back to support her, she looked up at him for a short moment before she continued. "My father..." Another shock wave of gasps went through the square, even Belle looked up at her Beast with a bewildered expression, not knowing what to think of this. 
     "...Audrey would be gone." The camera's switched again, zooming in on Audrey this time. It was the first time Myra had seen the girl awake since her coma. The confidence she had carried when Myra fought her was partly gone. Audrey's eyes twinkled with tears, probably still ashamed of what she had done to everyone. At least Myra assumed she was, it wouldn't be a good sign if she didn't regret it. 
     "We are all capable of good and bad," Mal pulled the crowd's attention back to her. "No matter which side of the barrier we come from." The purple haired girl turned fully to her fiance. "And that's why I can't be Queen of just Auradon. I have to be Queen of the Isle, too." Ben took a hold of Mal's arms, a loving look in his eyes. "And it's time that we take the barrier down forever." 
     Myra wasn't in time to stop herself from gasping. Was she really breaking down the barrier? Would they finally be free from this horrible place?
     "We can't do that." Adam spoke, shaking his head in disbelieve.
     "Ow, shut it, you old goat." Hades almost yelled at the screen. 
     "It's up to us, Dad." Ben told his father.
     "Yes! Put him in his place!" Myra was surprised to see Hades like this, cheering on the King of Auradon? He must really have forgotten she existed in the same space as he did to act like this. 
     This time it was Ben who turned to his subjects, one arm wrapped around his future Queen. "I choose to be a King who moves forward." Myra's chest filled with excitement, this was going into the right direction. 
     "It's time for forgiveness." He paused, looking at his parents. "It's time for new beginnings..." 
     "Come on..." Hades mumbled what Myra thought, having as little patience for Ben's dramatic pauses as Lunch had when he had to wait for breakfast. "Say it!"
     "The barrier will come down!" Mal's face lit up with a beaming smile as Carlos' voice cheered the loudest of them all.
     "YESSSS!" Myra yelled, jumping up and down with laughter. Hades howled with the same amount of happy excitement. The man jumped over his couch to where Myra stood, pressed her against his chest and lifted her up from the ground, laughing as well. Myra froze first, and after realizing what he had done Hades immediately dropped Myra to the ground, clearing his throat as he straightened his collar and pulled his hand through his Mohawk. 
     "That never happened." 
     "I don't even know what you're talking about." Myra answered, looking away from the God and back at the screen. Fairy Godmother handed Mal her wand while Evie, Jay and Carlos joined her side; Ben retreating to stand directly behind the four. Carlos and Evie held hands as all of the four friends looked at the horizon- making Myra think they were able to see the Isle at least a little from that point. Their expressions were filled with disbelieve and hope, but she could also see the anxiety in their postures. Myra understood their fear to be confronted with their parents once the barrier went down and the unpredictability of what might happen once all the villains and their children would be freed. Myra herself felt a lot of the same emotions right at that moment as she saw Mal raise the wand and open her mouth.
     "To make the world a better place..." Mal started, only for the other four to chime in, even Myra mumbled the next words with them from the Isle.
     "We have to do it face to face." The wand in Mal's hand lit up and a blast of light shot out of it.
     Not long after the island seemed to shake, sending waves into the water surrounding it. Even from inside the cave Myra could hear the barrier shatter to pieces. A second wave went through the cave, changing the entire atmosphere of the air surrounding them. Myra could feel it, but Hades reacted way more to it. The old God gasped, letting the wave wash over him. When he opened his eyes his hair flared up, blue flames illuminating the room. Myra jumped back, fear taking over. His powers were back. He could hurt her without even breaking a sweat. 
     "Ow yeah, Baby." Hades said, stretching the muscles in his neck until Myra could hear little snaps. "That's what I'm talking about!" He roared, making all the candles in the room flare up with the same blue light. 
     Lunch, just as startled as Myra, curled himself up inside his companion's chest pocket for protection. The girl's eyes flickered towards the screen again to see the camera's had turned to capture a big, stone bridge taking form over the water that led up to the Isle. The Isle without a golden barrier around it or a see of clouds above it. Excitement started to take over again and this time Myra couldn't wait. She had to go outside and see for herself. The young woman started to run into the direction of the cave's entrance, but before she could get far a wall of blue flames blocked her way. Myra skidded to a stop, instinctively raising one hand to shield her face from the fire and one to shield Lunch, who was peeking out from the pocket to see what was happening. 
     Hades clicked his tongue disappointingly. "Did I tell you you could leave?" He asked her with a slight glare. The flames dying down again. 
     Myra let her arms fall by her sides again, clenching her hands to fists. "No."
     "Exactly." Myra couldn't help the death glare that flared up her eyes looking at Hades. Who only seemed amused by this, sticking out his lower lip in a fake, overdone pout. "Awwww... Is my Mirabella sad she can't go play with her friends?" Knowing pissing off Hades was a bad idea, especially when he was back at full magical, strength; the young woman bit down on her lower lip to keep her words to herself. But not without placing her hands on her hips or intensifying her glare. 
     To her annoyance, Hades only chuckled, his flames on his head dying back down to his normal hair. "Don't worry, Darling. You'll see them soon enough. For now, you stay with me."

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