I hope you read my previous story, "Call Me A Schemer, Call Me A Freak," because this story takes place after that. Enjoy.
Leave a review after reading. Please.
Note: Italics mean narration.
It was past midnight in the kingdom of Auradon. Not a single soul was awake in this peaceful evening. However, there is one soul whose eyes are still open, and this one soul is sneaking around a city, trying not to attract any attention. The person in the shadows had sights set on a nearby salon. The door was locked, but this mysterious someone managed to break in by picking the lock with a hairpin. Once inside, the infiltrator turns the lights on. If there was anyone present in the room, they can recognize the perpetrator as Mal, daughter of the once most-feared villain Maleficent.
"If you look at me, you probably think you're seeing ghosts, but if I have to punch you in the face to see reality, I would. What I'm trying to say is yes, it's me, Mal. I know what you're thinking. I'm supposed to be dead. If you're wondering why I'm still alive, well, that's a story for another time. The point is I am alive."
Mal takes out hair dye and a tint brush. She takes a seat and looks at the mirror. She opens the hair dye bottle, dips the brush inside, and begins dying her hair.
"What am I doing here? The world can't know that Mal Bertha is alive, not yet. There are some things that I need to get off my back. I remember an old friend who tells everyone that they can't solve a problem without a little help. I'm afraid I can't heed her words right now. I have to cope with my traumas alone. But I've become a familiar face around Auradon. I have to stay hidden. The only way to do that is change my appearance. What am I doing here? Let's just say after what happened on the Forgotten Island, I lost my magic. I have to use my own hands to change myself."
After a while, Mal finishes dying her hair. She looks at herself in the mirror and sees that her hair is completely blond. She turns off the lights and leaves the salon with the door lock. Next, she breaks in a store for eyewear. She steals a pair of blue contacts. She looks into a mirror as she puts them on. After putting one on her left eye, she reaches for the second one, but briefly glanced at her hand. She touches the finger where she once wore the signet ring given to her by Ben.
"Of course, if I wanted to remain invisible, I can't let anyone see that I have a ring on me. Everyone saw the footage of Ben putting it on my finger at the coronation. It was hard to choose who among my friends I had to leave the ring with, but in the end, I chose Ben. It's been three days and he hasn't sent a search party for me, so I'm guessing he's finally learning to respect my privacy. At least, he doesn't have to suffer until I'm ready to show myself. I just feel bad about letting the rest of my friends mourn over me, especially Evie. Losing Carlos and me must've been too much for her. I just hope she hasn't forgotten what I said."
After she finished putting on the blue contacts, she really takes a good look at herself on the mirror. She still looks like herself, but she's hoping the blond hair and the blue eyes might help. She locks up the eyewear store after leaving and started walking to a clothing store. Once more, she had to break in. After stealing some new clothes, she dresses up before leaving.
Next, she walks towards to the cemetery. There, she visits her own grave again. She then turns to Carlos' grave. She's always thought about leaving some flowers, but she thought it might draw suspicion from others.
"Hey, snowflake. I'm sorry I didn't leave any flowers, but I don't want anyone to know that I'm alive just yet. I just want to say that I miss you. Even if I finally get my life fixed, it won't be the same without you. I don't think anyone's life will be the same without you. You've been a true friend to me, you've been like a brother to Jay, everyone in Auradon adores you, and Evie... you know how much she loves you. Don't worry about us. I'm sure we can manage. Sure, we might be grieving forever, but we'll never forget you."
Mal was about to cry, but she wipes her eyes dry and leaves the cemetery.
The next morning, Mal, who was asleep in the park, finally woke up because of the shining light of the sun. When she saw children and their parents entering the park, she quickly hid behind a hedge. She stayed hidden until she felt like testing her new look on unsuspecting bystanders. She took a peek at the population occupying the park. She caught sight of a couple of kids having fun with their mother. The sight of this made her drop in sorrow.
"Now that's true love between a mother and her children. I just wish I had the same thing with my mother. I tried to help her. I wanted her to realize that love is beautiful, that love is strength, but she refused to give up her evil ways. I don't even have to remind you of what I have done to her. Carlos' death isn't the only trauma I'm trying to cope with. My mother maybe evil, but she was mother, after all. What I did to her... I was no better than her. I did it to enact revenge, and it felt... good. I felt bad about it, I even shed tears, but it felt good. But do you know how that makes me feel?"
Mal decided it's time to try out her new look. She adjusts her hair a little, takes a firm hold of the bag containing her old clothes, and comes out of the hedge. She walked along, trying to act casual. While trying to keep a straight face, she can see that no one recognizes her. She was able to walk out of the park without anyone shouting that they found the presumed deceased daughter of Maleficent. She sighs in relief as she continued walking.
Later that morning, Mal, wearing a sun hat and a pair of shades, heads over to a cafe for a cup of coffee. She decided to read the paper to see how Auradon has been since her "sacrifice." The first thing that caught her sight is the number of casualties as a result of "beams of light from the sky." Over a hundred innocent civilians were killed during the catastrophe. Mal knew this was the result of her mother attempting to change reality. She puts the newspaper down and continues drinking her coffee. She reads the newspaper again and read that memorials are held in every kingdom for those who has lost someone they love.
After finishing her coffee, Mal heads towards one of the memorials in the kingdom she's currently in. There were families in mourning, leaving flowers and candles by the names of their loved ones. Mal frowned in sadness at the sight of this. She knows that there's only her mother to blame for this, but she can't help but feel some guilt for the tragedy.
"Look at this. All these people, in grief. Mother did say that loss is a consequence of war, but why am I blaming myself? All I wanted to do was save my mother from herself. Maybe I'm blaming myself because I didn't succeed. All these people wouldn't have died if mom understood me, but she made her choice. Just like Ben said, 'We all have a choice, for better or worse.' Well, we can't change the past. We can only move on."
From her peripheral vision, Mal saw a little girl staring at her. The girl caught her attention because she was dressed up like her. She was wearing a child-sized version of her Isle clothes and a purple wig.
"Sorry, miss," apologized the girl. "It's just you look like someone I've seen before."
"Who do I remind you of?" asked Mal.
"Mal," answered the girl. "You know? The daughter of Maleficent?"
"Everyone knows her," said Mal. Trying to act innocent, Mal says, "Do I really look like her? I haven't noticed."
"I think you need one thing," said the girl. She takes off her wig. She gestures Mal to crouch down, then puts the wig on the teenager. "There, now you look exactly like her."
"Except for the eyes," said Mal. "Mal has green eyes. Mine are blue."
"What's your name?" asked the girl.
Mal thinks fast and says, "Bertha." She asks the girl for her name.
"I'm Paula," said the girl.
"Where're your parents?" asked Mal.
Paula points over to her parents placing flowers next to the names of people they lost.
"Who did you lose?" asked Mal.
"Our next-door neighbors," answered Paula. "They were always nice to us. They were like an extension of our family. But now they're... gone."
Noticing the girl about to break into tears, Mal gives the girl a comforting hug. The girl hugs Mal and starts crying.
"Shh. It's alright," said Mal.
Soon enough, Paula's parents showed up in front of them.
"Paula, your parents are here," said Mal.
Paula turns to her parents.
"It's time to go, sweetheart," said Paula's mother.
"Can I stay with her just for a while?" asked Paula.
"Has she been nice?" asked Paula's father.
"She's very nice," said Paula.
"Just don't take too long," said Paula's mother. She looks at Mal and said, "Our car is just over there." She points where.
"I'll take care of her," promised Mal.
As soon as the parents walked away, Mal takes the wig off and puts it back on Paula's hair.
"So, why're you here? You lost someone, too?" asked Paula.
"I lost a friend. I loved him like he was my brother," said Mal.
"Who was he?" asked Paula.
"It doesn't matter," said Mal. "I'd rather not talk about it further."
Paula did the same thing Mal did earlier. The little girl embraces Mal in an act of comfort.
"I think it's time you should go," said Mal.
"Will I see you again?" asked the girl.
"It depends," said Mal. "Just be a good girl."
Paula takes off the wig and gives it to Mal. "Keep it. It fits you better."
As soon as Mal took the wig, the girl runs towards her parents. Mal takes a look at the wig. It hurts her to keep it, but she can't break a little girl's heart if she ever finds out that she just threw it away. She puts it in her bag and takes one last look at the memorial before walking away.
Later that day, Mal walks out of the city and into an open field. She can't stop looking at the wig given to her by Paula. She puts it on again and takes out a hand mirror she stole. She looks at herself and smiled. "You look great, Mal," she said to herself.
She looks away from the mirror when she saw a young woman walking along the fields all alone. Seeing the sadness in her face, Mal decided to approach her.
"Hey, you shouldn't be out here alone," said Mal.
"Wait, are you... Mal?" asked the woman.
Remembering that she still has the wig on, Mal takes it off. "Whoops! Sorry. It's a wig."
"For a second there, you looked exactly like her," said the woman.
"Well, I'm not, as you can see," lied Mal. "Although I can see why you would think that."
"Who are you then?" asked the woman.
"Bertha," answered Mal. "You?"
"Evelyn," answered the woman.
"What are you doing out here?" asked Mal.
"I was gonna ask the same thing," said Evelyn.
"I just came here for some alone time," said Mal. "What about you?"
"I'd rather not talk about my problems," said Evelyn.
Mal smiled, chuckling.
"What's so funny?" asked a confused, slightly irritated Evelyn.
"Sorry, it's just that..." Mal continued to chuckle. "... that sounds like me."
"I'm guessing you're not a fan of talking about your feelings," guessed Evelyn.
"I think I just met my match," joked Mal, still chuckling. "Don't worry. If you don't want to talk, then don't. I know how that feels. But from the way I look at it, I think you're suffering a loss."
"Perceptive, aren't you?" complimented Evelyn.
"Loss. Another thing we have in common," said Mal, letting out another chuckle.
Aggravated, Evelyn was about to swing at Mal, but the latter blocks the strike.
"Nice reflexes," complimented Evelyn.
"Look, I'm sorry for laughing at your pain," apologized Mal. "You just intrigue me. Aggression and independence. I like that."
"So, what? You want to be BFFs?" asked Evelyn sarcastically.
"Perhaps," replied Mal playfully.
"Well, I'm afraid I'm not in the mood," sassed Evelyn.
"Believe me, I'm not in the mood to see the people I love after what I have lost, but I can make an exception for new friends," said Mal.
The two glare at each other with a lot of fire in their soul, until the two simultaneously smiled and laughed together.
"I admit it. I like you," said Evelyn.
"Wanna hang then?" asked Mal.
"Convince me," dared Evelyn.
After a brief stare-off, Mal, for some reason, asks, "How good are you in hand-to-hand combat?"
Evelyn was confused, but answered. "I had some training."
Immediately, Mal grabs Evelyn's arm and gets behind her, keeping her arm immobile.
"You caught me off guard," said Evelyn.
Evelyn twists around and pulls her arm free from Mal's grasp. Evelyn tries to strike Mal, but the latter blocks the swipe again.
"So, you want a fight?" asked Evelyn.
"I want to see what you got," said Mal.
Evelyn relentlessly tries to hit Mal, while Mal blocks every single strike. Mal gives a hard blow to Evelyn's face, knocking her down. Evelyn takes a moment to clutch her face before returning to the fight. Evelyn continues striking, until she successfully trips Mal with a low kick. Lying down on the ground, Mal trips Evelyn with a sweeping kick, causing her to fall down as well.
The two girls started laughing together again.
"You're good," complimented Mal.
"You're better," complimented Evelyn. "You have good reflexes."
"Reflexes are only part of it," said Mal. "You have great skills, but there's one thing you haven't learned. Instinct."
"Can you teach me?" asked Evelyn.
"No, you have to teach yourself. That's how I got this good," said Mal.
The two girls picked themselves up.
"So, where do you live?" asked Mal.
"That's personal," said Evelyn.
"Then I'll keep my home a secret as well," responded Mal.
"I'd love to spar some more, but I gotta get going," said Evelyn.
"Hope I see you again," said Mal.
Evelyn walks away while Mal watches her leave.
"I've never felt like this since Evie and I became best friends. I can't wait until everyone meets Evelyn. They're gonna love her. I know I have. The next time we meet, I hope we can get to know each other better. Right now isn't the time, of course. She's suffering from loss, so am I."
Mal picks up her bag and continues walking, while she thinks about her day.
"I have to admit. I'm actually having a pretty good day. Ignoring the fact that I'm in hiding and mourning my friend, I just made two new friends. That little girl, Paula, and Evelyn. I can already imagine how they'll react when they find out that I am Mal. Maybe they'll be mad that I lied, but I'm sure they'll understand my reasons."
Mal spent the rest of the afternoon taking rides in a cab and a bus until she reached a castle.
"You're probably wondering why I'm here. Well, obviously I can't just spend every single day roaming around Auradon trying to stay hidden. I need a place to stay and people who will accept me. Of course, I have to tell them that I'm alive, but knowing the people of Auradon, they will always help someone in need. I just hope the people who live here will agree to keep my secret. I need more time to cope with my traumas, but most important of all, I need education."
Mal rings the doorbell. A maid answered the door.
"Yes, miss?"
"Is Princess Audrey home?" asked Mal.
"No, ma'am," answered the maid.
"Good," said Mal. "I need to talk to her parents."
"They're not home right now," said the maid.
"Well, can I wait until they return?" asked Mal.
"Of course, you may," agreed the maid.
The maid takes Mal to the royal living room and asked the other maids to prepare her some tea. Mal said she would prefer a bowl of strawberries, so the maid changes the order. While Mal sits down and waits for the return of Audrey's parents, she saw phone not too far from her position. She was tempted to call Ben and tell him about her situation. She hesitated for a moment. The maid returns to the living room with a bowl full of strawberries.
"Anything else, miss?" asked the maid.
"Can I use the phone?" asked Mal.
"I don't see any harm in doing so. Go ahead," replied the maid.
Mal waits for the maid to leave the room before approaching the phone. She dials Ben's number. However, all she got was: "Hello. It's Ben. Please leave a message after the beep."
After hearing the beep, Mal sighs and tries to keep herself together.
"Hey, Ben. It's me, Mal. I hope you got the ring. I'm sorry I didn't show up at your front door, but... I need some time for myself. I know that the best way to deal with my problems is to talk about it with others, but I just can't. Not yet, anyway." Mal paused for a second. "I can't tell you where I am, but I can tell you that I am out there. Somewhere. But, please, don't look for me. I'll show up when I'm ready. I know you miss me so much, but there are a lot of stuff I have to sort out on my own. Believe me. There's nothing I would rather do than to knock on your door and kiss you at first sight, but that's gonna have to wait. I just hope you'll understand." Mal paused again. She takes a deep breath and continues. "Just remember. You are the light of my life. I would never be the person I am if it wasn't for you. I owe you so much. When we see each other again, I promise I'll be open to you. You'll see. Just don't forget. I love you."
Mal hangs up the phone. She starts eating her strawberries and thinks about the message she sent.
"Coming back from the dead isn't an easy thing to just brush off your shoulder. Don't believe me? Just ask an old friend. My story may have taken an unexpected new turn, but trust me, things are just getting started."
I hope you like this.
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