With an aura dark enough to send the other students running even fast than usual, Hayden makes his way to Evie and Mal's dorm. He told Evie he'd stop by before he left for the Underworld so she could make sure his outfit for Cotillion is 'absolutely perfect'.
Her words, not his.
He reaches the girls' dorm just in time to hear the tail end of their conversation.
"We're in Auradon!" Evie says. "And we're Auradon girls now."
He leans in the open doorway, still unnoticed by the two of them as Evie wraps one arm around a stressed looking Mal's shoulders.
"See, this is the land of opportunity," Evie continues. "We can be whatever we want to be here. So, please, let's just leave the past in the past, okay?"
"You seem to be doing a fine job of that," Hayden says, smirking when both girls jump. He looks over the, admittedly nice, yellow and blue gown Mal has on. "It's not exactly your color," he tells her.
"No, it's not," Mal agrees with a quiet sigh. Evie sends her a look before she crosses over to Hayden with a bright smile.
"Glad you're here," she tells him.
"You're lucky I had a chance to stop by before I leave tonight," he says.
Evie grabs Hayden's arm and leads him over to her supply of fabric options.
"I know I've basically already made your full suit and just have some detailing left but if you'll just look at this," she says as she grabs one. "It's a nice blue that I think would just-"
"Evie," Hayden says warningly.
"But-"
"Evie." She sighs in defeat.
"Fine," she says dully as she grabs a different fabric from the bottom of the options. "This one's a nice black leather," she finishes.
"Perfect," he tells her. "If you try to go any lighter than gray then I'm showing up to Cotillion in jeans and my jacket," he adds.
Evie gasps in shock. "You wouldn't..."
"My holiest jeans," he threatens.
She quickly holds up both hands in surrender. "Alright. Alright. Point taken. You'll be as monochrome as ever."
Mal laughs a little as she watches them. "Where have you been anyway?" she asks him. "We haven't seen you all day."
Hayden shrugs. "I had to sort everything out for my trip home," he says, ignoring the way they both frown slightly when he calls the Underworld home. "Plus, I spent a couple of hours in that council meeting," he adds casually.
Mal and Evie both seem to freeze, exchanging a wide-eyed glance.
"Right," Mal says slowly. "I, uh, forgot you had that meeting."
"Had another meeting," he corrects. "You know, because I've been having them since September, because I'm trying to change things concerning the Isle." He raises both eyebrows and gives them a pointed look. "Remember that?" he asks.
"Of course we remember," Evie says as she goes back to fiddling with Mal's dress, deliberately not looking at him.
Hayden crosses his arms with a shrug. "Oh, well, I just wasn't sure if you would remember, you know, where you came from what with you two being Auradon girls now," he drawls.
"Hayden, it's not like that," Mal protests feebly. "We haven't forgotten where we come from."
"None of us have," Evie adds.
"Then why," he asks, voice sharp and deadly serious as the few shadows in the room seem to darken, "do I seem to be the only one trying to bring down that barrier? Why am I the only one trying to help everyone left on the Isle?"
There's a long moment of silence. Neither of them appears to know what to say.
Hayden sighs and runs one hand through his hair, the other held up in exasperation. "You know what, forget it," he mutters. "I've gotta get going. I'll see you guys on Friday," he tells them.
He walks out without another word, ignoring the almost nervous calls of his name from behind him. There's technically no set time for him to return to the Underworld so he sees no problem with maybe leaving a little earlier.
A few days in Hell will do him good.
Maybe he's getting predictable or maybe she just knows him that well already but Persephone's waiting for him when he returns to his own dorm. She's sitting on the table in the middle of the room with a book on flower meanings in her hands and a necklace sitting beside her.
"Leaving early?" she asks knowingly as she marks her page, carefully setting the book aside.
Hayden nods slowly. "Yeah," he says. "I just- I need to get away from this place and these people."
Persephone nods in understanding as she leaps lightly off the tabletop. "I saw the... interview," she says delicately. She picks up the necklace and glides across the floor to slip it gently over his head.
It's a relatively simple piece, nothing more than a dark gray medallion with a pomegranate engraved on one side and a skull on the other.
"I'm proud of you, little hemlock," she tells him.
"I've gotten nowhere," he points out. "Six months and that barrier is no closer to even opening than it was before I left the Isle."
"But you're still trying," she says. "Every time you schedule a meeting, every time you tell the truth on live tv so they can't hide it, you're doing something. You're doing something that no one has done before."
"What's that?" he asks dully.
Persephone cups his cheek in a soft grip and lifts his head so that dark and earthy brown eyes meet bright golden. "You're fighting for every innocent person trapped on that island."
There's a long moment where they just look at each other, Persephone clearly doing her best to make her son believe her words.
Hayden finally smiles even as he feels that familiar resentment for the Olympians and Auradonians that kept him from this amazing woman for seventeen years.
"Thanks, Mom."
Persephone smiles back. "You're welcome," she says. "That's a very important lesson for you to learn. I'm always right."
"Of course," Hayden replies, already secure in the knowledge that arguing will do him no good.
"Now, this," the goddess says as she taps the necklace's medallion, "is your ticket home. It's a bit different from your entrance on the Isle, I know, but it's simple enough. All you have to do is wrap your hand around it and give it a little shot of hellfire."
"That's it?"
"That's it," she confirms. "It's perfectly safe seeing as it won't work for anyone else for, well, rather obvious reasons."
Hayden just nods and prepares to do just that. "Thanks, Mom," he says again. He grips the necklace and presses a quick kiss to her cheek, disappearing in a flash of hellfire before she can even react.
It's definitely different than his usual entrance on the Isle. For one thing, there are infinitely less stairs. For another, the necklace drops him right in the middle of his father's throne room with the god himself sitting on his throne.
His father stands up as soon as he appears, apparently just waiting for his arrival.
"Hey, there he is!" Hades calls, arms spread wide in invitation. "Listen, kid, I gotta get this out now. I mean, I haven't seen you in six months so I just gotta let you know, that coronation thing? Beautiful work. Really. Just masterful."
"You watched the coronation?" Hayden asks as he tucks the necklace under his shirt.
"Of course I did," Hades tells him. "How could I not? First my boy makes a deal with a king then he shows that upstart fairy what 'powers of Hell' really means!"
Hayden can't help but smile at the genuine pride and happiness in his father's voice.
"And don't even get me started on your latest television debut! The look on that reporter's face... it was perfect, kid, really. Matter of fact, I think you might really have a knack for this stuff." He gestures at his own chest with both hands and a smirk. "Then again, who can expect any different? Just look at your old man."
"It's their own fault. They're the ones that keep asking me questions. I'm only answering honestly," Hayden points out.
"Oh? You think honesty is the best policy then?" Hades asks slyly.
Hayden just gives him a look. "No good deal's set on lies," he claims. "Omit certain truths. Talk around them and twist things, but never outright lie."
Hades grins at him. "That's my boy!" he cries proudly. He glides over and wraps one arm around Hayden's shoulders. "Come on, kid. Let's go have a drink and you can tell me all about the trouble you've been causing Auradon that doesn't get televised."