And it's official! This is now a full length adventure! Get ready for the ride!
Hope you all enjoy and please to review! I can assure you all that your reviews are literally what made this story become more than a oneshot!
And a big thank you to guest CarVie Shipper, I can't thank you personally, but I want you to know how grateful I am for your review and I hope you continue to enjoy! There will be more Carlos/Evie to come!
Enjoy!
Chapter Three: Stars
It was a hot night, the evening air had cooled everything out of doors, but the heat seemed trapped within the school. Mal and Evie had their dorm room's windows wide open and both were still tossing and turning.
It was Mal who at last sat up in bed and exclaimed rock loud in frustration,' it's so hot!'
Evie sat up too, but put a finger to her lips,' I know,' she said,' but not so loud Mal, some people might be sleeping.'
'I don't know how anyone can sleep in this heat,' retorted Mal, but she did lower her tone.
Evie swung her legs over the side of her bed, flicking on her bedside lamp as she did so.' We could do something?' she offered,' you know, play a board game, do some hand sewing...'
'Get out of the window and go for a midnight run!' cried Mal enthusiastically.
Evie pulled a face,' not quite what I had in mind...' she began, but Mal was already at the window, pulling it open.
She put her head out and looked down,' we'll need a rope to reach the ground,' she said brightly.
Evie tip-toed up beside her and peered out the window,' Mal, I'm not sure this is a great idea,' she protested in a rather small voice.
'Nonsense, it's brilliant,' retorted Mal, now hurrying to her dresser and opening the bottom drawer,' fortunately I make it a point to keep a coil of rope in my drawer for just such emergences,' she said.
She came hurrying back and tied the rope with expert fingers, and a perfect sailor's knot, to a bar which stood near the window and was meant for hanging towels on.
'Will that hold?' asked Evie, indicating the bar's attachment to the wall and not Mal's knot.
Mal pulled on her gown, over her long pants and short sleeved shirt.
'Only one way to know,' she said, as she threw the remaining rope out the window. It reached all the way to the bottom and draped onto the grass. Mal grinned,' come on,' she said and getting up onto the sill she swung her legs over.
'Mal,' Evie made one final attempt to reason with her friend's madness, even while she also struggled on her gown.' Don't let's do this.'
Mal gave her a grin and taking hold of the rope she climbed down with ease. She dropped once she was near the ground and looked up at Evie, who had got onto the sill and put her legs over but was hesitating to take hold of the rope.
'Come on,' urged Mal in a whisper,' we did this on the Isle often, you can't be scared of climbing down a rope.'
'I don't know how many rules we must be breaking,' groaned Evie, but she slide down with almost as much ease as Mal and landed with far more grace.
'Ah,' Mal breathed in deeply, taking in the cool night air,' this is tons better,' she said,' come on,' she urged Evie and the two of them slipped away, heading down the field to the back gardens. There was bench out there, situated so as to see a fine view of the village below, all the way across to the Isle of the Lost.
The girls sat together, staring up at the stars and letting their loose hair blow in the breeze. Evie was the one who presently broke the silence.
'Do you often think of home Mal?' she asked.
Mal gave a shrug, with a useless attempt to look nonplussed,' sometimes,' she said, with offhand candour.
'I think of Mommy,' admitted Evie.' Do you think of your mother often?'
Mal bit her nail,' sometimes,' she said.
It had been difficult to decide what to do about Maleficent, who had shrunk so small after turning into a dragon. As King, Ben had finally asked the Fairy Godmother to return her to her usual state and she was in the prison of Auradon, closely guarded and with no magic in her grasp.
Mal had permission to visit her once a week, but she seldom did, she just couldn't face it. She had enough to deal with in Auradon, without trying to speak with her mother. Maleficent was not the usual kind of parent and Mal didn't know what to say to her. She tried however to be a good daughter and sometimes sent gifts over instead.
'When did you last see her?' asked Evie.
'Four weeks ago,' mumbled Mal,' she is so disappointed in me, I don't know how to face her and choose good at the same time, it doesn't seem to fit.'
'If only we knew what our hearts were telling us,' Evie sung in a low voice.
'Don't know what we're feeling, is it all a dream?' Mal seemed to be really asking the question. She glanced sideways at Evie,' should I see her more?' she asked.' I just don't know. Look her, look at me, I don't know who to be...'
'Who you are,' Evie gripped her hand,' what you showed the rest of us we could be, good. Not our parents. We get to choose.'
Mal nodded slightly,' I know,' she said,' I just wish...' she broke off.
'Yes?' urged Evie.
'I wish mother was not in jail, I wish she was free, just far from here,' Mal got up and moved toward the end of the garden. Evie followed her.
'Free? Mal you know what she'd do. I wish Mommy was here too, but I know she can't be.'
'I know it too,' Mal rubbed her head,' I think the heat is getting to me,' she said a little fretfully.' I just hate to think of her in a cell, even though I know she belongs there,' she clenched her fists tightly together and stretched out her arms.
'Mal,' Evie's voice was kind and gentle,' it'll work out in time,' she said,' maybe she can learn about good too, and my Mommy.'
Mal shook her head as if trying to shake away a fly.' She doesn't want that,' she said bluntly,' you need to choose it and every talk I've had with her... she isn't like that!' Mal's tone had risen slightly and she unclenched her fists,' I wish I didn't have to worry, I wish she was free and I could rest!'
A blast of light erupted from Mal's palms and both girls jumped. It burst into the sky and showed down like small fireworks or failing stars.
Both girls stared and then burst into giggles.
'Wow Mal, that was so wicked awesome!' cried Evie.
'I know right?' agreed Mal,' I didn't even know I could do that.'
Evie grinned at her,' you haven't even begun to find out what you can do,' she said,' come on,' she laid a hand on Mal's arm,' let's get some sleep, it's now or through class tomorrow.'
'I don't mind sleeping through class,' said Mal with a chuckle.
Evie shook her head at her,' my grades matter to me,' she said,' and,' with a sly grin,' you know Ben thinks well of good grades.'
Mal laughed,' I hear his have gone down terribly since he became king.'
'Seriously though,' said Evie,' how can someone run a country and go to school, there is something so wrong with that idea.
'If it were me I'd have dropped out by now,' said Mal.
'But Ben never would.'
'No,' agreed Mal,' he is much too proper for that.'
A short enough distance from the school a green light flickered in block 10 of the prison, a restricted area for the worst criminals. A gap of green light formed in the wall, the guards stood by, apparently unable to see it and a woman stole out, a light laugh falling from her lips and catching on the breeze.
Just getting through her bedroom window after Evie, Mal stopped and looked over her shoulder, had she just heard...? But she shook her head, it was impossible and she slid into bed, putting the thought out of her mind.
Maleficent stole through the town, her skill at concealment making her go unnoticed. No magic gleamed from her finger tips, but she had enough else at her disposal. She slipped into a garden and gathered several herbs and leaves from it. She moved like a ghost toward the school and ducked under the fence, through a gap. She approached the castle, her hands had crushed the leaves, herbs and flowers finely and she took water from the fountain and mixed it in.
Silently she moved to a window and looked in. She knew so well the face which lay sleeping on the settee and she deftly poured the liquid into his medicine bottle.
Ben awoke with a start. He had heard a rustle, which didn't sound like the wind. He sat up and glanced out the window. Nothing was there. He glanced up at the clock. Three at night, a good time to take more medicine for his flu. He poured out two teaspoons full and swallowed. It was slightly more bitter than usual, he thought sleepily, but he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
The last he thought before drifting off to sleep was how at peace the world was tonight.
More to Come!
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