I GOTTA KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO - PART 2

[missrecalled_mods]

Like most things seemed to be in Auradon, progress was a team effort. And the Missrecalled showed up in a big way for each other, and for those potentially trapped on the Isle.

Some people helped more by preparing back at the school. Rren, Nadeshiko, Ian, Hahuri, and Skisan worked hard to make up the care packages and make them so that the exhausted trail blazers could easily gather them once the path was clear. All set and ready to be carried in reusable cloth bags and sturdy cardboard boxes. Well, except for the two potato plants in flower pots. The Queen was good at helping them figure out makeshift slings for the pots, though perhaps there was more leather involved than one might expect in such a thing.

Those clearing the path had a harder time than those putting together the care packages, though. The work was exhausting. Even with the help Mallia provided by supplying the group with energy drinks that actually gave the one who drank it a boost to any magical energy they had! For everyone else, it was basically like coffee. The effects didn't last long, but at least there wasn't a sugar crash after!

Those clearing the path ranged from more or less human, doing their best like Kyoko and Nagihiko and the king himself, to working as if human unless something they could specifically do came up, like Lea. His powers to cut through with heat were used a few times, but mostly the King tried to keep things intact where possible. Those with magic had it pushed to their limits, and probably were only able to do as much as they did thanks to Mallia's energy boosting drinks.

Harry and Aqua worked hard on levitating things out of the way, or lifting them enough that others could get under to untangle them. Mal mostly used temporary shrinking spells to make things easier to move, but often they got caught up in the tangle. Sometimes she had to try three different variants on a spell before one took properly. Greg was able to heal people as they went, if they got hurt and was also driving himself hard with boosting his own strength and flying what little he could to help move things.

Lea made a breakthrough - we can presume someone made that pun - when he realized that he could use his Keyblade portal powers to, well, play with portals. Aperture Science style. Tossing stuff from one portal to another nearby until someone else could haul the stuff where it went.

It was hard going, and the last push to the shore had been the hardest, a real uphill battle. In more ways than one. Not only did they end up at the top of what was almost a cliff, but the effort to get there had only gotten harder the further from the school that they got.

It was almost like something had been fighting with them, getting worse the closer to the shore that they got. But once they cleared the last bit there was a brief flare of an odd sort of fanfare; and not only did the edge of the road clear but so did a small area down the hill and to one side.

Finally! They had made it to the shore. Sort of. Actually they had followed a paved road, uphill for most of the last part, past what looked like a small freestanding bit of castle over a courtyard. The road that seemed to go around it and then right to the edge of a rocky edge to the land itself. There was an arch framing where the land fell off into nothing. But up at the top of this hill that was all there seemed to be. Clearly whatever was here was meant to be... something. But the road and land just... ended.

The small clear area, down below, that hugged the shore had what perhaps none of the Missrecalled had yet seen in Auradon. A locked tall gate. A fence of steel. Something that spoke to a need to keep someone out. Then again, those who explored the museum knew that it, at least, had alarms. Still, this was seemingly a bit much.

Behind the fences was a marina with a large building, docks, and a number of boats bobbing in the water. The docks and boats looked a little worse for the wear. But while Ben and Mal both glanced that way, most of their attention was at what lay across the water from the spit of land their hilltop seemed almost aimed at.

"Alright," Mal said. "Hard part's over."

How the hard part could possibly be over might have been something of a conundrum for most. Since there was a whole lot of very stormy ocean between them and the Isle. If that was the Isle. Then again, it was a bunch of dark shapes mostly hidden by dark storm clouds and a shinning spherical barrier. What else could it be?

Harry offered to use a spell he knew to fix the bridge. but the Queen gave him a tired smile and a wink as she shook her head. Then she looked to the king.

"You know," Mal said with a small grin, "this would have been so much more dramatic if we'd brought the limo."

"There isn't any candy left in it," Ben said with a chuckle, hugging her gently from behind.

"Well never mind that then," she said, a smile on her lips. She turned to the group. "Everyone, do your best not to fall off. Even those of you who can swim..." Then with a broad smile and an expression of someone about to show off she faced the Isle.

For those who expected some grand magical spell to part the water or bring the Isle closer... well... disappointment was often part of life. What Mal actually did was hold up something that looked like a garage door opener. She clicked the singular button on it and the road started to build itself, continuing out towards the Isle. Mal grinned and hooked her arm with Ben's.

"Everyone, follow us," Ben said. "Those with the boxes and bags of supplies, if someone offers you help, please take it. All the magic we have here won't help us get anything back that falls over the edge."

And together the King and Queen led the way across the white bricked road towards the very edge of the Isle.

Once the group got closer they could see through the flickering colours of the barrier somewhat. They could see dark shapes pressed right up against it on the other side of the arch.

Those right at the front could also see the frown on Mal's face that said that something... Something was not quite right here. She unhooked her arm from Ben's.

"Be ready," the Queen said, grimly. She handed the remote to the King and pulled out her spell book. After all the work they all put in clearing the way, it was probably a familiar sight to many of the Missrecalled by now. She opened to a page and scanned the spell on it, then nodded.

Ben took a breath and pressed the button once more.

Thankfully this did not drop them all into the ocean as one might expect. Instead it opened a small hole in the barrier. A hole through which they could now all clearly see.... Thorns. A large interwoven wall of thorns.

Queen Mal relaxed slightly from her tensed stance as Ben pressed the button once more and the barrier closed again. The King and Queen turned to face all those who had gathered.

"I think," Mal said slowly, her words measured, "We have a problem...."