A day after the barrier was down. (My theory why Hades 'shot' Mal with the ember.) Last chapter.

Ben found Hades sitting in the living room at Evie's house. Hades had come over to see Mal. But Mal was in a meeting about the isle residents. And well Ben wanted a moment to talk alone to his future father-in-law.

"Hades." Ben said, after he took a deep breath. This was going to be hard, he was pretty sure Hades wasn't on his side. Ben waited a moment, Hades was sitting on the couch, his back to Ben.

"Son." He responded, not standing or facing Ben.

"I.."
"You want to know why I shot the ember at Mal?" He waved Ben over, not rising, or showing the king the respect he deserved.

"Actually yes. She has never brought it up, and well… She said you were draining her magic." Ben asked coming around, and sitting on the couch, where Hades sat, and was patting the couch for Ben to sit next to him. Ben did what he was asked to.
"Sort of yes."
"Sort of? How could you do that to her if you obviously cared?" Ben was shocked.

"I was connecting her to the ember. Son, even on the isle some of my God powers still exist. I may not have had anything I can use to escape, but some other things are still there." He said pointing to his head. "I can understand many languages, I have really, really good hearing, and I can see gliminces of the future. Why would I give the ember to her so willingly if I didn't know she would need it and use it to protect what she had, and deserved. But she had never been in contact with it. If I were draining her powers, she would have dropped out of dragon form immediately. I was just connecting her, she just felt as if I was draining her powers. But it was a transfer of sorts. That was why when she held it and took it outside the barrier, it took over her so quickly. She was connected to it already. As a Demigoddess, she will be able to do a lot, and as my child she will have certain abilities. Even without the ember. It is a familiar of sorts. It helps focus the power within, just like the eye or Fairy Godmother's wand. Magic, or the powers possessed by a God are held within, and sometimes a familiar is needed to focus them on a larger issue. Taking on the power of the Dragon's eye, was a big deal, and Mal needed it. But she was able to focus some of the power she holds within her, without the ember or any familiar really. She is strong. And she needs to express that magic son, if not it can over take her, and in not a good way. Your little magic ban, needs a lift so to speak."
"I allow her ley way."
"Do you know why Fairy Godmother was easily caught in Maleficent's power twice?"

"She didn't have her wand."

"No, she was holding the wand in the cathedral that first time. It was because she hasn't used magic, her abilities have gone soft. Think back, I am sure you knew what happened when you were all frozen, cause we on the isle watched it. Mal fought her mother, yes she had the wand in her hands, but she wasn't using it to channel her powers. The spell she cast, was all her own. Yes she was holding the wand, and perhaps she thought she was using it, but it wasn't that way at all. That was all her. If you continue with this plan to allow the big bads off the isle, she will need to keep her powers in check, trained and used. You have got to have people like her, Mal, Evie, Uma, Celia, up to snuff, so they can help if the bad return to cause bad."
"Is that something you saw in the future?"
"I can not see that far ahead, it doesn't work like that. Honestly, it's about moments, that flash like a dream, or day dream."

"But you think...they will need to train?"
"Yes. Honestly son, they can not allow their powers, if they have them, to fester. It can go two ways, they can not handle them without help, such as their familiars, or they can blow up and explode into something negative. Either way, they will need to use them, for something every once in a while. Mal can help herself, by just taking a dragon flight, Uma transform for a swim. Fairy Godmother, can pop in and out of places. Nothing that needs to affect anyone else, really. As for Celia and Evie, they need to see if they have anything, and Celia can not do anything that will connect her to the shadows."
"I understand. Magic is retired, not forbidden. But I will talk to the members of the council of magic and see what we can do to help them all. Thank you for that, and for helping Mal. She told me, all of us really, what you both talked about in the lair, thank you for caring about her."
"She is my daughter, I may not have gotten along with her mother, but that didn't mean I didn't care. I watched her, she may not have seen me, but I did watch her. Remember, I have good hearing. What she didn't realise was that my tunnels, went through out the isle. I had rooms under her home, I could hear her."
"Thanks for that Dad." Mal said walking into the room, she had been listening for a while, in fact, most of the conversation.

"What did you hear?" Ben asked.

"She has been there for most of it." Hades said, having heard Mal come in about two minutes after Ben did. Hades stood, and hugged his daughter, then left her to talk to Ben.

"So how long have you known he wasn't draining your powers?"
"I was curious after I broke free, and within a few minutes, I felt fine again, so I knew he hadn't taken my magic, but I figured it out after I held the ember that first time. The connection to myself and my fairy abilities was so strong. But I didn't have the connection to long, since Uma grabbed the ember. I knew for absolute certainty when I had full possession of the ember, after Uma handed it over. Ben, he is right, once I stopped using my magic on a regular basis I didn't feel well, not really. Taking flight, helped. But well, just making a little something happen magically makes me feel more, me. I know for the others who were here all their lives, like Fairy Godmother, she had used enough of her magic over the years, to be ok not using it every day. But for me, I have only had access to it for a short while, and my body needs to release it. I can feel it when it builds. I do not think Evie feel that pull, as she has never tried anything in her mother's spell books, and no she dosen't have them, they are drilled into her brain by EQ. Celia, I do not know, but Dad is right, she can not connect herself to the shadows. Her father said many times at school, that, that was a huge down fall to his magic. The shadows were strong, and held him accountable, punished him. She can not have that attachment. But I will talk with her and her father about that at another time."
"Back on the bridge when your father had the ember, was that why you didn't blast him with fire?"
"Yes and no. I couldn't hit him with it even if I wanted to, I had all I could do to keep flying. But I pulled together the strength for a good wing blast to send him through the barrier. But honestly, it's weird, then I had no idea he cared, yet I couldn't hurt him, not really. I had no idea what his intentions were for trying to escape, and that wasn't going to be allowed, but now…"
"Now you know he was really trying to help you."
"Yes."

"Then it was worth it in the long run. And I know you look forward to getting to know him better, as do I. Maybe someday he will like me to."
"He will, he does." Mal smiled and kissed her fiance.

end