Sweet Dreams (1/1?)
The October night air was brittle and cold. Small wisps of cloud scuttled across the wan face of the moon, making the darkened sky seem akin to a vast and empty ocean. The whisper of wind in the darkness held the sharp-edged promise of frost as it prickled across Mal's bare skin, raising gooseflesh along her arms. Her green eyes were cast skyward as she peered out the open window, silently searching the endless star-spattered abyss.
A slow sigh slipped from deep within her chest as her gaze skimmed down past the open courtyard of Auradon Prep and settled on the horizon, seeking answers to questions unspoken.
"Mal, close the window. It's late and my toes are getting cold." Evie mumbled sleepily from her bed across the dorm room. She moaned and rolled further under the thick pile of blankets already heaped on her bed, burying herself under a mound of rose-pattered fabric.
"Yeah, Ok. I'll just be a minute longer." Mal whispered, eyes still cast out to the horizon. "I don't want to sleep just yet…"
In truth, Mal's desire to sleep wasn't the issue. The simple fact of the matter was that despite however much she wanted to, she couldn't sleep. It had only been a few months since the events of the coronation- The fateful day that her mother had tried to rise to power and bend both good and evil to her will—but to Mal it seemed as if time flowed differently afterwards.
The air still seemed to crackle with remnants of magic tinged with a hint of fear, leaving Mal feeling constantly on edge. While she was able to keep busy with classwork during the day, night had its way of manifesting the constant hum of her anxieties into something far more foul. Thoughts buzzed tirelessly in her head and a sense of foreboding pricked along her spine. Loud noises startled her; whispers in the shadows left her feeling watched.
"They're not real, it's just my imagination." Mal mouthed the words to herself, repeating them like a desperate prayer to allay her fears. "I'm safe here. She's gone. I'm safe. Everything's ok…Everything's ok…Everything is ok."
The wind whispered through the trees.
That sound…the same as the whooshing of dragon fire and the leathery snap of dark wings…
Mal clamped her eyes shut, gritting her teeth. "I'm ok. Everything's ok." Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she hugged herself tight, willing herself to believe the words that fell from her lips.
"I'm safe here. I'm safe here. I'm safe…"
"Mal?"
A hand touched her shoulder, causing Mal's eyes to snap open with a start. Her irises flashed momentarily—a brilliant acid green glinting in the dark as she reached for her magic. Sparks skimmed along her arms, pooling in her fingertips as she brace herself, ready to lash out.
"Hey, hey it's me! Calm down!" Evie's voice cut through the darkness, her fair face screwed up in a worried grimace.
"Evie!? Geeze don't sneak up on me like that!" Mal let out an exasperated breath as she forced her muscles to relax. The magic welling up inside her slipped from her grasp like water
"Me? What about you?! You almost singed my hair off with all that—" Evie stopped mid-sentence as her friend's face caught the moonlight. "Mal…what's wrong? You're crying…"
"It's nothing." Mal muttered half-heartedly as she hurriedly wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. "Just the cold air that's all."
Evie let out a disbelieving 'hmmm'. She gently perched herself on the windowsill facing her friend, watching and waiting for the words that hung between them in the silence. After a long moment, Mal finally bridged the space between them
"I can't sleep Evie." Mal whispered hoarsely, her eyes locked on the wet smudges on the back of her jacket sleeve. "I keep thinking that my mothe-"
Her voice stalled and she took a shallow breath before beginning again "…that she'll come back. That they'll all come back….that we won't be able to win next time. That she'll drag me back to the Isle of the Lost and I'll be hers again… I'm scared that deep down I'm not me, I'm just hers."
The tears flowed freely this time, and Mal bit her lip to keep her sobs bottled inside her chest. Her body shook with the effort, but still she made no sound.
A soft embrace enveloped Mal's shaking body, as Evie pulled her to her chest. Evie held her close, rocking gently and pressing the warmth and safety of her own body against the other girl. A gentle melody hummed from her throat as the two swayed. Minutes passed, and as Mal's trembling finally ceased, Evie spoke:
"I don't know what the future holds." She muttered softly "It's true, your mother might come back, and all the other villains might find a way off the Isle of the Lost…" Evie pressed Mal close to her chest, holding her tighter against the terrors of their unknown future. "But there's one thing I know for sure…"
"Yeah? What's that?" Mal croaked, her voice still rough from choking back sobs.
"That we can handle it. Together." Evie replied, determination thrumming in her voice
"What makes you so sure?"
"Good is strong, and so are we. As long as we stick together—all of us—we have something they never will: Love. Family."
Evie turned to look Mal in the face, her dark eyes looking nearly golden in the moon's thin light. A mischievous smirk colored her features. "And if anyone tries to take you away, they'll have to go through me."
Mal sniffled and barked out a laugh, her tears quickly turning to hiccups as she laid her head on Evie's shoulder.
"Now c'mon. It's time for you to get some sleep." Evie said, gently steering her friend towards the bed. Firm hands pressed Mal down onto the mattress to tuck her under the covers, and for once her restless muscles didn't resist. Weariness sapped what was left of her strength, leaving her mind in a restful haze.
The first dusky fingers of dawn soon crept over the edges of the trees, but Mal was unable to appreciate its delicate splendor. Just as the light of the morning began to peep through the windowpanes, her head fell to the pillow as her pale green eyes fluttered closed. Slumber's gentle touch eased the tension from her body and she slipped silently into the land of dreams unfettered by fear. Finally, for the first time in months, rest had come to ease Mal's mind.
"G'night Mal" Evie whispered as she finished tucking her friend in for the night
"Sweet dreams. You're safe here. Everything's ok."