As you probably noticed throughout my series, Mal has a drinking problem. I know it's very mature (I did mention my series can be pretty dark) and I can only use a strawberry-flavored drink to make it look a bit less serious. But it is serious. That's why I'm going to address that issue here. I thought it was about time. So, in other words...
WARNING: Mentions of drinking
SUMMARY: Mal begins to act differently in an attempt to change people's opinions about her while trying to stay true to herself. Meanwhile, Uma wants to make a deal with Evie, but when she refuses, the sea witch sends Harry to convince her. Elsewhere, Carlos learns something new about his magic, as well as a big secret that will change his relationship with Mal.
Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.
I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: CarvieCamfia, DragonEmperor999, xez2003, EroSlackerMicha, Quartz Rider, Avery
To EroSlackerMicha: Maybe, but I really needed focus on Jay and Carlos even if it involves a cliche fight between brothers.
To Avery: Well, tiny adventures are quite fun... when done right.
Every student in the school were just minding their own business, chatting with their friends, talking about the latest R.O.A.R. games, and looking at funny videos on the internet together. All eyes were caught by a peculiar sight. The daughter of Maleficent, the current Queen of the Isle, the new Mistress of Evil, whose name is Mal, is looking strangely different today. Her new uniform, which was a lovely red dress, was one thing, but her hair was another.
Mal had cut her hair short and dyed it white.
She can hear the whispering and gossiping, as well as seeing some students take pictures. It's the 21st Century, Mal thought. She might as well just let them think what they want to think about what she has done to herself. Right now, all she cares about now is showing her new look to her boyfriend. When she found him, however, he was in a little bit of trouble.
Carlos was with a seemingly angry Jane. She was trying to hurt him, but Carlos was pushing on her forehead, trying to keep her away from him.
"You lying, jerkish jerk!" Jane shouted. "You have no right to dump me!"
"Actually, I think I kinda do," Carlos said nervously.
"Get your hand off my head!" Jane yelled.
"Not until you calm down," said Carlos.
Mal gets in between the two ex-lovers and pushes them apart from each other. Suddenly, Jane started to calm down, only to hold her head, as if she's recovering from a headache.
"What just happened?" Jane asked.
"You wanted to, and I quote, smack my head on the inside of my locker for breaking up with you," said Carlos.
"I said that?" asked Jane, confused.
"Jane, just go away. Now," Mal ordered.
"But Carlos and I are still talking about when he can tutor me in Mathematics," said Jane.
"How about we talk about when you're really calm, like, really calm?" Carlos suggested, afraid of facing angry Jane again.
Jane leaves while trying to figure out what just happened. She can remember being angry, but she didn't know why. If what Carlos said is true, then she was still confused. She had moved on from him, so why would she be mad that he broke up with her?
"Hey, nice hair," Carlos said, noticing his girlfriend's new look.
"You like it?" Mal asked with a smile.
"It's beautiful, like you," said Carlos.
Mal blushed at his compliment. Well, she did write down in her diary that she didn't mind being like this around him.
"Wait, is this because of what I said in the janitor's closet?" Carlos asked.
"Well, yeah," said Mal.
"I thought you didn't want anyone telling you who to be and what to do," said Carlos.
"True, but I've been thinking about what you said," said Mal. "I wanted to try a new look, so I did. I went over to Auradon Junior this weekend and asked Dizzy to give me a new hairdo. Only cost me $10. Best friends discount."
"Well, she did a wonderful job," said Carlos, touching her snow white locks and caressing her cheek.
"Now, let's talk about you," Mal said. "What the hell was going on with you and Jane?"
"I don't know. We were just talking. Then she started choking on her pumpkin soup. When I tried to help her, she just got all angry and stuff," Carlos answered. "Oh, and her eyes glowed red."
"Wait, when you tried to help her, did you touch her?" Mal asked, wondering about something.
"Uh, I think helping a choking person has to involve a little touching," said Carlos.
"Hold my hand," Mal asked, holding out her hand.
"What?" Carlos asked.
"Just take my hand," said Mal.
Carlos holds Mal's hand. Mal closes her eyes and feels the magic within Carlos. When she opened her eyes, her eyes glowed green. She seemed to be struggling to fight something inside her. When Mal let go of Carlos' hand, she started to calm down. Her eyes stopped glowing.
"What happened?" Carlos asked.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ WAYS TO BE WICKED ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Mal drags Carlos back to her dorm and locks the door so they can talk privately. Mal sits down on her bed and asks Carlos to sit down next to her. Carlos was afraid because of the grave look on Mal's face. Whatever she found out, it was anything but good, that's for sure.
"When I touched you, I felt your magic taking over mine. It started to awaken these dark, nasty feelings," said Mal. "Well, my darker and nastier feelings, to be precise."
"What are you saying?" Carlos asked.
"When you touched Jane, she became angry and hateful. When you touched me, I felt the darkness in me rising," said Mal. "Carlos, I can't sugarcoat this. You have the power to bring out the worst in people."
Carlos' mouth opened with shock. He stands up and looks out the window. Mal can only imagine what he is feeling right now. She stands next to him and reaches for his hand, only for him to pull it back from hers.
"It's okay. You're not gonna hurt me," Mal assured him.
Mal holds his hand and stares at him in the eyes. She tries to fight back his magic, and she was succeeding so far, if barely.
"Mal, I don't want to hurt anyone," said Carlos.
"And you won't," said Mal.
"The bracelet that Fairy God Mother made for you, do you think she can make one for me?" Carlos asked. "Well, maybe not a bracelet, but you get what I mean."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Mal asked. "I mean suppressing your powers is not exactly a beneficial action. Just ask Elsa."
"Mal, please. If what you're saying is true, then I don't want to be a living source of darkness," said Carlos.
"You're right. One in this school is more than enough," Mal said half-jokingly, referring to herself. "I'll go talk to Fairy God Mother. Until then, stay here. Watch TV or help yourself to some strawberry cider. Don't touch anyone or anything."
"I'd rather stay away from the bottles," said Carlos.
"Suit yourself," said Mal.
Mal kisses Carlos one more time before leaving the room. Carlos can't help but stare as she walked away. She looks really good in that dress, he thought. Mal smirked before she closed the door. She knew he was staring, and that's what she wanted. Why else would she be wearing this dress?
Meanwhile, Evie was having a picnic date with Ben at the Enchanted Lake. Ben brought frosted cupcakes, cookies, and his girlfriend's favorite, apples. Just like Mal with strawberries, Evie would always choose apples first before any meal.
"You sure love apples," said Ben.
"When your mother is the Evil Queen, you tend to get drawn to apples," said Evie. "And there's also the VK motto, Rotten to the Core."
"I'm guessing that's how the apples on the Isle are described as well," said Ben.
"There wasn't a single fresh piece of food on the Isle, well, up until Mal's rule, that is," said Evie. "I can't help but feel very proud of her."
"Makes me wonder why I didn't do it myself," said Ben.
"Well, you were so focused on your kingly duties and relationship problems to think about the Isle," said Evie.
"But I am glad for what Mal has done to help her people," said Ben. "Speaking of Mal, I've noticed online that you two have been taking selfies together."
"We're on BFF territory, but not on BFFF territory just yet," said Evie.
"What's left?" Ben asked.
"She asked me a question. Will I feel better if she's no longer part of my life? I haven't given her an answer," said Evie.
"I think we both know the answer," said Ben.
"Even if, I want to be sure I know how to answer it," said Evie. "I don't just have to say it. I have to meant it, like, really meant it. It has to come from the heart, not the mind."
"I know you can do it," Ben said, holding her hand. "You and Mal are family, right? Giving her your answer should be as simple as telling her that her hair is purple."
"Well, except it's not purple right now," Evie said, showing Ben a picture of Mal on her phone that was posted on GraceBook. "I guess she wanted to try the whole matching hair color thing with Carlos. I hope she's not getting Benny-Bear-osis again."
"Benny-Bear-osis?" Ben questioned.
"You remember the bear, don't you?" Evie replied.
"Who can forget it?" Ben said. "That furry creature looked exactly like me."
Evie and Ben laughed. Who would've thought Mal's Benny Bear phase was gonna be something to laugh about in the future?
"Is she still keeping it?" Ben wondered.
"No, she burned it," said Evie.
"Too bad. It would've been nice to have a twin brother," Ben joked.
Evie giggled again in amusement.
"Maybe he would've made a better king," she teased.
The two lovers both laughed, amused by all this talk of a stuffed bear. When Ben's laughter died, Evie leaned in for a quick kiss on the lips.
"Don't worry, Ben. I'm not saying you're a terrible king," said Evie.
"I know," said Ben.
Ben's phone suddenly beeped. Evie's phone beeped a few seconds later. They both checked the messages they have received. Evie was confused and worried, because it was Uma who contacted her. The only reason the young sea witch even had her phone number was because of their bonding moment in detention months ago.
"I'm afraid we'll have to end our date. I have duties to attend to back at the castle," said Ben.
"And someone needs to see me," said Evie. "Shall we do this again tomorrow?"
"I'll have to check my schedule," said Ben.
Evie kisses Ben again.
"Hope that brings luck on our side," Evie hoped.
Mal was on her way to the Headmistress' office, only to run into a friends along the way. Jay seemed troubled, which was no surprise since he is always finding ways to end up in trouble.
"You got a problem, Jay?" Mal asked.
"Whoa!" Jay exclaimed, noticing Mal's new look. "You look... great. What, you dolled yourself up for Carlos? Did he blush and gush?"
"Blush, yes. Gush, not so much," said Mal.
"Should I be worried?" Jay asked.
"Maybe," Mal teased. "But you can worry later. What's the matter?"
"It's Lonnie. She's been acting crazy lately," said Jay. "Since R.O.A.R. practice this morning, she's been angry and out of control. When Chad wanted to talk to her, she yelled at him. When touched her, she flipped him to the ground and broke his wrist."
"Boy, I would've loved to see that," said Mal.
"Mal, please. This is serious," said Jay. "I'm been trying to get through to her, but she keeps walking away from me."
"Jay!"
That loud call came from Freddie, who came running towards him.
"Your girlfriend has gone nuts," said Freddie.
Lonnie and Chad were at it again. Lonnie had Chad pinned against the locker, holding one of his arms behind his back in a threatening manner.
"Don't ever call me a brunette, again," Lonnie said angrily.
"Okay, okay. But isn't that exactly what you are?" Chad replied.
Lonnie started twisting Chad's wrist, injuring it. On the bright side, it wasn't his injured wrist. Unfortunately, he was about to have two broken wrists.
"How am I supposed to participate in the R.O.A.R. matches with broken wrists?" asked Chad.
"You should be more mindful of your manners to your team captain," Lonnie said.
"Lonnie, enough!" Mal demanded.
"Stay out of this, witch!" Lonnie replied rudely.
Everyone watching gasped with shock. Since when does Lonnie use such language? Furthermore, since when does she display such attitude? What Mal saw was that Lonnie's eyes glowed with a different color. Red. Just like Jane, Mal thought.
Mal grabs Lonnie and pulls her away from Chad.
"Saved by a villain. This really is the end of the world," Chad commented.
"Be glad I'm not the one trying to break your arm, Chad," Mal said. "Lonnie, listen to me. You've got to calm down."
"Out of my way, Mal!" Lonnie yelled.
"Get her away from me," Chad begged, hiding behind Freddie.
"Lonnie, turn around," said Mal.
Lonnie turns around and sees Jay, who was keeping his distance because he was sort of afraid of her right now.
"Jay, talk to her. Or kiss her, if you have to," said Mal.
"I told you already, Jay. I don't want to talk to you," Lonnie said, still angry.
"C'mon, baby. I just want to help," Jay pleaded.
"Do not call me baby," said Lonnie.
"Babe?" Jay suggested.
"No," Lonnie refused.
"Hunny?" Jay asked.
"No way," Lonnie replied.
Not wanting to see these two bicker all afternoon, Mal pushes Lonnie towards Jay. Jay holds Lonnie closes and kisses her. Lonnie was about to fight, only to kiss him back. Once the kiss was over, Lonnie's eyes reverted back to normal color. Mal sighed with relief.
"Bold as always, baby," Lonnie said, tracing her finger down Jay's cheek.
"You know me, baby," Jay said, staring into his girlfriend's eyes.
"Okay, if I hear baby one more time, I'm gonna break Chad's wrist," Mal said, disgusted by the romantic tension between Jay and Lonnie.
"Why mine?" Chad questioned.
"Because it'll be fun," Freddie said nonchalantly.
"Thanks, Mal," Lonnie said. "I had no idea what happened to me back there. The boys made me mad at practice. I don't even know how or why. But you knew exactly what I needed."
"Don't give me too much credit. True love is pretty much the answer for everything around here," Mal said.
"Still, I owe you," said Lonnie.
"Actually, don't," Mal said. "Helping you is enough for satisfaction. You owe me nothing."
"Wait, are you serious?" Jay questioned, feeling surprised. "Mal, as in the Mal, is not going to ask for a favor in return for her services?"
"What can I say? All the dye in my hair must've leaked into my brain. And it's not even blonde," Mal joked. "No offense to anyone blonde here."
Mal proceeds to Fairy God Mother's office. Everyone was whispering to each other about what just happened. One of the things Mal is famous for is expecting a favor in return for her assistance in anything, no matter how big or how small the task is. Yet, she helped Lonnie snap out of her rage and told her that she doesn't owe her anything.
"Is it the stuffed bear thing all over again?" Ally whispered to Jordan.
"I think it's just the hair," Jordan whispered back.
Meanwhile, Evie meets up with Uma in theater room. Uma was humming "What's My Name" as she walks back and forth on the stage. Evie had to admit, Uma's version of the song was catchier and sounds cooler than her mother's. A contemporary touch with her own flare.
"I see you got my text," said Uma.
"Whatever deal you have to offer me, I'm not taking it," said Evie. "And shouldn't you be on janitor duty?"
"Not until after 3," said Uma.
"What do you want, Uma?" Evie asked.
Uma steps off the stage and says, "I couldn't help but notice that you and Mal have been getting chummy lately. The photos you two have posted, it definitely says something."
"The feud's over, Uma," said Evie.
"But you have noticed her change in look," said Uma. "I think we both know she's just trying to get on the students' good sides, trying to manipulate them into picking the best option that would allow her to stay here in Auradon."
"Uma, I'm aware you want Mal out of the way," said Evie.
"But you're the new Lady of the Court," said Uma. "Do you really want Mal to cheat to win her freedom?"
"I don't know what's going on with Mal yet, Uma," said Evie. "She left this weekend and came back today. I haven't talked to her."
"I thought she wasn't allowed to leave the campus," said Uma.
"She wanted to visit Dizzy. Fairy God Mother had two royal guards keeping an eye her all weekend," Evie explained.
"Look, Lady Evie, I'm doing your a favor," Uma said, addressing her formally in a mocking way. "We work together to expose Mal, and I'll end my plans for good. I'll try an honest living here, if you wish."
"No deal," said Evie.
"Won't it make you guilty for the rest of your live that you allowed Mal to worm her way back into Auradon?" Uma asked. "Your duty is to the people, and letting Mal use her evil ways to stay here doesn't sound like doing your duty."
"You think I'm that easy, Uma?" Evie questioned. "If you think Auradon has turned me into some ditsy airhead, you thought wrong. I am not helping you, and that's final. Whatever you're planning next, we'll stop you, like always."
Evie turns her back on Uma and leaves. Uma takes out her phone and calls Harry.
"Yes, my luv?" Harry asked.
"She wouldn't take the deal," said Uma. "Your turn."
Carlos lied down on Mal's bed, watching Jessie on TV. People have always said that he looks a lot like Cameron Boyce, who is an actor on the show. Carlos couldn't deny the resemblance. The only difference is that he had white hair.
The door opens and in comes Jay, who had Carlos' backpack in hand.
"Here's your homework, man," Jay said, throwing the backpack at Carlos.
"Thanks, man," said Carlos.
"So, why're you staying here in Mal's room?" Jay asked. "You two planning on getting..."
"Don't go there," Carlos interrupted.
"Okay, but now that I know the truth, I realized what you meant by you and Mal doing some kind of physical activity," Jay said, using air quotes. "Now I have this image in my head that won't go away."
"Trust me. It's the PG-rated version of what you're thinking," said Carlos.
"So, if Mal does get to stay here in Auradon, what are you two planning?" Jay asked.
"No plans yet," said Carlos. "Right now, we're just living the moment, making use of every minute together."
"Seriously, though. Don't you find your relationship a little bit, um, strange?" Jay asked.
"Jay, she and I agreed to put the past in the past. No hard feelings. No grudges. I love her, and she loves me. That's all that matters," said Carlos.
"Okay. I'm just didn't expect this to be true love. I thought it was just a thing," said Jay.
"Get out, Jay," Carlos said, wishing to not continue this conversation.
Jay shrugs his shoulders before leaving the room. Carlos can only shake his head in annoyance. He didn't care if Jay was wierded out by his relationship with Mal, but bugging him about it was bugging him.
Carlos opens his backpack and takes out his notes. He found something that shouldn't be there. It was a letter. It was written by Hades and sent to his son, Hadie. It was about someone's birthday.
"Diavolos," Carlos read. "Greek for devil. Who's Diavolos?"
Carlos' contemplation was cut short when someone knocked on the door.
"It's open," said Carlos.
Entering the room is the son of Hades, Hadie.
"Hey, Carlos," he greeted. "I see you have my letter. It must've gotten mixed up when Lonnie bumped into us earlier."
Carlos remembered. After R.O.A.R. practice earlier today, Lonnie started acting uncharacteristically cranky and bumped into both him and Hadie in the halls, causing them to drop their books. In their efforts to pick up their stuff, Carlos must've mistakenly picked up Hadie's letter.
"Hadie, who's Diavolos?" Carlos asked.
"I can't tell you," said Hadie. "No one was supposed to know about him."
"Well, I know his name," said Carlos. "You owe me an answer."
"Fine," Hadie gave in. "Diavolos was my father's brother. Secret brother. Diavolos tried to take over both hell and the Underworld. He failed in both attempts. In his shame, he hid himself from history."
"What can he do?" Carlos asked.
"Dark magic. Control over demons. Turn anyone into their worst selves," Hadie answered. "But you didn't hear it from me."
"Who else knows about him?" Carlos asked.
"The magical elders of Auradon. The Olympian gods and goddesses. Mal," Hadie answered.
"Wait, Mal knows about him?" Carlos asked, surprised.
"She ruled the streets of the Isle, remember? She had to know everyone and everything about the Isle," said Hadie. "I pleaded her not to tell anyone. It cost me 75% of my money."
Hadie takes his letter and leaves the room.
Carlos begin to wonder. This Diavolos person has the power to turn people into their worst selves, and Carlos just so happened to have that ability. Then there was the part that Mal knew about him. If Mal knew about Diavolos and what he could do, then why didn't she tell him?
Evie finds Mal eating outside. A bowl of strawberries and a thermos full of strawberry cider, as expected. Evie sits down next to her and takes the thermos away from her. Mal clenched her fist, trying to resist retaliating.
"I thought we talked about this, E," said Mal.
"If you want to drink this stuff, that's fine with me. What I don't like is you drinking this stuff when you're upset," said Evie. "And from what I see, you're very upset."
"You heard about what happened to Jane and Lonnie?" Mal asked.
"Yeah," Evie answered. "It's strange. They're not like that."
"We promised to each other no more secrets, right? Well, it was Carlos. Long story short, one touch and you become the worst version of yourself," said Mal.
"Wha... ah... whoa," Evie reacted. "But he couldn't do that before."
"His magic is evolving," said Mal. "That's why I have this."
Mal held up a ring with a glowing gem on it.
"Made by Fairy God Mother to suppress Carlos' magic until he and I can figure this out," said Mal.
"So, why are you upset?" Evie asked.
"It's just that I can't get away," said Mal. "First, mom. Then Uma. Then CJ. Then you. And now, this. Everywhere I turn, there's trouble."
"Well, you're improving your digi-image. So, that's good," said Evie.
"Believe it or not, I am loving the hair," Mal said, playing around with her snow white locks.
"It looks amazing on you," Evie complimented.
"What about you? Have you considered dying your hair red again?" Mal asked.
"I think I'll stick to blue," said Evie. "Mal, you have got to stop using this cider to deal with your emotions. I know it won't do anything besides make you loopy, but you need to find an alternative."
"Like what? Breathing exercises? Meditation?" Mal asked sarcastically.
"I know we're all about bad habits, Mal, but this is taking it too far," said Evie. "The more of this stuff you drink, the more your head is messed up."
"Like it wasn't already?" Mal questioned. "I don't think my head can get any worse after my resurrection. Evie, I'm glad you are concerned, but I don't need you telling me what I can and cannot do."
Mal takes back her thermos and takes a sip.
"You worry me to no end," said Evie.
"What are friends for, I guess," Mal said.
"True, but I prefer to end those worries," said Evie. "At least think about what you're doing. Wallowing with this drink doing things to your head, it can't go on. There is a reason why Auradon puts restrictions on these kinds of things."
"I know about those restrictions, Evie, but we came from the Isle. I've been drinking this kind of stuff since I was little," said Mal. "Fresh water was hard to find, so I had to go the next best thing."
"And you're addicted," said Evie.
Mal glares daggers at Evie for using the A word. Evie moved a few inches away from Mal.
"I know I am, Evie," said Mal. "But do I want to fight it? No."
"Then I can't do more here," said Evie. "But promise me something. Think it over."
"You know me. I only keep the promises I want to keep," said Mal.
"I guess there are some things that haven't changed," Evie said. "Take care, Mal."
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ WAYS TO BE WICKED ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Evie was about to head back to her dorm, only to be grabbed by the arm and pulled away. It was Harry, looking at her with that nasty grin of his. He held his hook dangerously close to her face. He's threatening her, she can tell.
"What do you want, Harry?" Evie asked.
"You denied Uma's deal, so I am here to persuade you otherwise," said Harry.
"In the middle of the hall?" Evie questioned.
"Oh, we studied the pattern. No one comes through this part of the hall at this hour," said Harry. "It's just you and me, lassie."
"I am not taking that deal," said Evie. "Whatever sick plan you and Uma have in mind, I won't take part of it."
"Maybe it's just bad timing," said Harry. "Should've done it while you two were at odds with one another."
"Oh, I doubt I would accept your deal even back then," said Evie. "As Lady of the Court, it is my duty to assist our king in protecting the people. Making deals with villains who have intent of taking over Auradon will mean betraying my king."
"Love sure is blind," said Harry. "What will happen if Mal stays? Are you certain she has changed for the better?"
"She loves Carlos, and that is all that matters here," said Evie.
Evie was about to walk away, only for Harry to pin her to the wall. He gently traces the sharp end of his hook down her face. He didn't want to scratch her seriously just yet.
"One more chance, luv," said Harry. "Accept the deal, or I'll mess up that pretty face of yours."
While the two glared at one another, they were unaware . He froze with shock at what he is seeing. The fear on Evie's face. The evil smile on Harry's face. His hook dangerous close to her eye.
"Get away from her, Harry!" Carlos growled angrily as his eyes glowed red.
"Words cannot make me move, puppy lover," said Harry. "Only actions will."
"You want action, I'll give it to you," said Carlos.
"Carlos, don't," Evie pleaded.
Too late. Carlos grabs Harry, pushes him away from Evie, and then throws towards the wall. Harry tries to get back up, only for Carlos to grab him by the collar and punch him in the face. It doesn't stop there. He kept punching. After the third punch, his hand lit up with magic, making his next punches hurt more.
"Carlos! Stop!" Evie shouted.
After one more punch, Carlos lets go of Harry. Evie turns Carlos around so he can look at her.
"This is me asking you to, please, calm down," Evie begged.
"But he was going to hurt you," said Carlos. "He deserves what's coming to him..."
"But I'm okay," Evie said. "Look at me. No scratches. No bleeding. I'm fine. Thank you for saving me, but the beating was unnecessary."
Carlos closes his eyes as he takes deep breaths. Evie hugs him to help him. When Carlos opened his eyes, Evie saw that they are back to normal.
"Wow."
That near-deadpan tone came from none other than Mal, who had seen the whole thing. She looks down at Harry to see the damage that Carlos's fists have caused to his face.
"I'm proud of you, Snowball," said Mal.
"Mal!" Evie scolded her.
"But you went too far," said Mal. "One punch. That is all he deserves."
"He threatened Evie, held a hook to her face. Would you have stopped after one punch?" Carlos asked.
"Yes, I would," said Mal. "I may not be the most merciful individual in the world, but even I know when to stop. I gave Uma the choice to surrender or die, remember?"
"Honor," Carlos replied.
Mal puts her hands on Carlos' cheeks and pulls him in for a kiss.
"I'm not mad at you. I understand why you did it," said Mal. "But right now, I need to talk to you."
"What about Harry?" Evie asked.
"Drag him to Lonnie's room. She's watching us right now," Mal answered.
Mal starts walking away. Evie pulls Carlos back for a few seconds to whisper something to him, something about Mal.
Mal takes Carlos back to his dorm. She shows him the ring and tells him what it does. Carlos was about to take it out of urgency, but Mal keeps it away from him. Mal finds Carlos' latest bottle of Malice and pops the cap off. Carlos was about to lecture Mal about something, but the purple-haired sorceress raises her index finger at him, silencing him. She drinks a quarter of it before speaking.
"I don't need to hear in order to know what Evie told you to tell me," Mal said.
"You know why she told me to talk to you about this. I'm worried about this bad habit of yours, too," said Carlos. "Are you stressed about behaving the way you are lately? Do you feel like you're stringing yourself up or something?"
"Carlos, I made the decision to change my hair and wear this dress all on my own," Mal said. "I want to do this. No one is forcing me. Motivating me, yes. That was you, after all. But I'm not forced to do this."
"Then why have you been so upset today?" Carlos asked.
"Look around you, Carlos. I'm tired of obstacles," said Mal. "I'm pretty sure you know why Lonnie was angry at R.O.A.R. practice."
"Me," Carlos knew. "I remember us hi-fiving. Must've affected her with my magic."
"With our secret out and Evie almost completely okay with us, I thought we could finally get a breath of fresh air," said Mal. "But now, you have this new power and it's causing trouble. I don't know if I can take it anymore. I might as well be banished right now."
"Believe me, I'm as bothered by this as you are," said Carlos. "Just give me the ring, please. Our worries will be over."
"Are you sure neutralizing your own magic is what you want?" Mal asked. "Won't you feel, well, trapped?"
"Mal, I'm not like you," said Carlos. "I want this."
"Sorry. It's just..." Mal drinks more of the Malice drink. She then started laughing for no reason. "We're doomed! Get it? We're doomed!"
Mal falls back on Carlos' bed and lies down. She was about to drink more Malice, but Carlos took the bottle away from her. He throws it down hard, smashing it. Due to her current mental state caused by the drink, Mal gets up and grabs Carlos by the collar, glaring at him with a green glow in her eyes. Carlos retaliates with his own glowing eyes.
The two stared hard at each other, until they overwhelmed each other. They stopped.
"You owe me another bottle," Mal snarled.
"No, I don't," Carlos said firmly.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that," Mal warned him.
"No, I will talk to you like this if it means getting you to open up to me," said Carlos. "No more secrets, remember? You've been hiding the real reason you drink that nasty stuff. I want you to tell me."
"Don't make me destroy this ring," Mal threatened.
"You won't," said Carlos. "You love me to much too make suffer."
Mal wanted to conjure fire magic and burn the ring right now, but she couldn't. Carlos takes the ring from her and puts it on his finger. He can feel his magic being neutralized. It worked.
"Just sit down and talk to me," Carlos pleaded.
Mal and Carlos sit down on the bed. Carlos holds Mal's hand just to make this easier for her.
"When I was young, I was just as miserable as any child on the Isle," Mal started. "Terrible mother. Terrible home. Terrible company. Just terrible everything."
"Mal, I said I want the truth," Carlos reminded her.
"You didn't let me finish," said Mal. "My favorite drink is not just for numbing my negative emotions. Now, let me continue. As I got older and older, I became colder, crueler, more malevolent." Mal chuckled a bit. She always found amusement that some words associated with evil start with her name. "After my first drink, I thought it was a way for me to escape my problems."
"Pretty much why people drink that stuff," Carlos muttered.
"But it's more than just that," said Mal. "When we came here to Auradon, I was happy. I didn't need that lousy drink anymore. I only drink it here because it came in strawberry flavor. Then the war broke out. I fell back to old bad habits. I guess the reason why I drink cider is... I don't want to feel anymore. Emotions. A part of me call them a disease. So, I thought that by flushing them down the drain for good, I can live without pain."
"There. Doesn't that feel better?" Carlos asked, gently rubbing her back.
"I guess it does," Mal admitted.
"Mal, we feel because we're human. We need our emotions," said Carlos. "I mean, you have me. Why would you still wish not to feel if you have love?"
"Simple. Because my life seems to welcome to all types of disasters," Mal answered.
"Mal, life isn't always gonna give us what we want," said Carlos. "We just have to take what is given to us."
"Like my love for you?" Mal asked with a small smile.
"Exactly," Carlos said.
To challenge Mal, Carlos takes out another bottle of Malice and opens it. He puts it in Mal's hand, daring her to drink it. After staring at the bottle for five seconds, Mal spilled every single drop into Dude's food bowl. Carlos was a bit bothered by this action, but at least Mal wasn't drinking it. I'll clean it up later, he thought.
"I don't need it," Mal said.
Carlos smiled, feeling proud of her. "You don't. Besides, I'm sure you would prefer a different kind of pleasure."
Mal raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you just quote me?"
"I believe I did," Carlos answered with a guilty smile.
Mal responds with a soft slap to Carlos' face before kissing him on the lips. Then the intensity increased and Mal pushed Carlos down until he lied down on his back. Carlos was used to Mal being on top. It's just who she is. He just kissed her back and embraced her to pull her closer. Mal can admit that he is correct. She doesn't need some relaxing drink. She just needs her, as she would say, precious Snowball for comfort.
The door opens and in comes the other owner of the dorm. Jay.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Jay exclaimed as he turned around, looking away from the make-out session.
Mal and Carlos stopped kissing to laugh at Jay's reaction to seeing them kiss.
"Look, if you two are gonna do that, lock the door. Or do it somewhere else," said Jay, still not looking.
"Don't be such a child, Jay. I haven't even asked Carlos to unzip my dress," Mal teased.
"Okay, I'm out," Jay said, feeling like he's about to lose his lunch.
Once Jay left, Mal and Carlos laughed again. One of the benefits of their secret being out is that they can torture Jay any time they want.
"As beautiful as you are in that dress, I think I'd prefer if you go back to the purple jacket," said Carlos.
"Can't tell me what to do, remember?" Mal said playfully.
Mal kisses Carlos again, but Carlos stops the kiss with a different and worrying look on his face.
"What's the matter, Snowball?" Mal asked.
The two get back into sitting positions as Carlos tells Mal what has been thinking all this time.
"I know you told me to stay in your room, but I left because I really needed to talk to you," said Carlos. "Did you know that Hadie's father's brother's birthday is next week."
"You know, don't you?" Mal asked, knowing what he is implying.
"How could you not tell me?" Carlos asked with some anger in his voice. "You knew about Diavolos. You knew what he could do."
"I didn't even know you would inherit his magic," said Mal.
"Tell me the truth, Mal," Carlos pleaded. "Is Diavolos my father?"
Mal hesitated for a moment, but she answered.
"Yes."
Carlos stood up and opened the door.
"Leave," Carlos said.
"What?" Mal asked.
"Just leave," Carlos repeated.
"Carlos, I know I've broken a big promise," Mal said.
"No more secrets," Carlos reminded her. "Just get out here, Mal. Go!"
Not wanting to anger Carlos any further, Mal exits the room. Carlos closed the door and leaned back on it, taking deep breaths to calm his anger. Mal listened to him from the other side. She wanted to knock and ask him to let her back in, but she knew he was too angry at her to talk to her right now. So, she went back to her dorm.
Carlos, meanwhile, heads to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. There was so much repressed anger and the ring was not helping it. If he took it off, he might destroy the place. If he keeps it on, everyone is safe but his anger remains bottled up. For a second, Carlos could have sworn that his eyes glowed red for a second. That's impossible, he thought. He's wearing the anti-magic ring.
"Why did you lie to me, Mal?" He mumbled.
Harry meets up with Uma outside the school, somewhere where Lonnie's cameras cannot catch them. Uma playing some game on her phone called "Angry Birds" and was getting rather frustrated with it.
"Ah, yes. The game that seems to be designed to anger you to no end with an infinite series of failures," said Harry.
"Freddie introduced me to this game," said Uma. "She makes it looks so easy."
Harry helps Uma out. He managed to clear her current level for her with little effort.
"I've been stuck on this level for a week," said Uma. "Thanks, anyway."
"No problem, luv," said Harry, poking Uma's chin with his hook.
"So, how did it go?" Uma asked.
Harry takes out his phone and shows Uma the latest video on School of Secrets. Harry threatening Evie and Carlos punching Harry were now both know to the school. Mal's surprising speech about control raised eyebrows, according to the comments.
"When the little runt left Mal's room, I made sure that he was at the right place to catch me and his blue-haired friend," said Harry.
"Excellent," Uma said. "This is working out exactly as I planned it. The more Carlos uses his magic, the more powerful it gets. And with this newfound power of his of being able to turn anyone into the worst version of themselves might come in handy one day."
"So, the plan is to keep pressuring him," Harry guessed.
"Until he cracks," Uma added. "When he cracks, there will be chaos. And what is a better distraction than chaos?"
"And the map?" Harry asked.
"I had Ginny sneak into Mal's dorm yesterday. She said that she keeps it in her diary, but it's magically locked," Uma answered. "We're gonna have to find a way to open it and soon."
"And once we do, the tides of war will be turned in our favor," Harry said, flirtatiously running his hook through Uma's aqua locks.
"And we'll be the ones in control," Uma said, flirtatiously tracings circles on Harry's chin with her finger.
"But until then, how about I treat you to another date?" Harry suggested.
"Depends. Where are you planning on taking me?" Uma asked.
"Just a little cruise on the ocean. I miss sailing the seas with you," Harry said.
"You bought a boat?" Uma asked.
"Why buy one when you can take it like a pirate would do?" Harry replied.
"I like it," Uma said.
It was bed time for all the students in Auradon Prep. Mal returned to her dorm with a glass of strawberry juice in hand. No fuzzy feelings tonight. Just a clear head and a delicious taste in her mouth. Since Evie was already asleep, Mal could write down in her diary.
"Dear Diary,
As you probably know, I've been having issues with my drinking. I always seem to need strawberry cider to keep myself worry-free. Just acting like an idiot and spouting nonsense makes me feel relaxed. It sounds sick, but it's me. Meeting Ben and having a great life here in Auradon made me way less reliant on it. But now, it seems like I can't break that bad habit. Evie and Carlos have both been concerned and I suppose I can't blame them. I did say it was a bad habit. But all it took was one deep look inside me and one little confession to help put myself on the path of breaking that habit. The reason I drink is because I don't want to feel. But Carlos has shown me that feeling is not such a bad thing.
But you know what is a bad thing, Carlos' new power. I didn't think Carlos would fully inherit his father's ability to bring out the monster within everyone. But he can and it's caused a few problems today. Jane looked like an ex still hung up on him. Lonnie had zero tolerance for pretty much anything. I may have given him an anti-magic ring, but if his magic rivals mine, I fear it will not work for as long as we hope it would. Emotions can have strong influence on magic, and Carlos' anger is gonna drag him down. And since he discovered the identity of his true father and found out I knew and didn't tell him, saying he's angry is just an understatement.
Also, Lonnie showed the video of Carlos punching Harry in anger when he threatened Evie. Both Carlos and Harry get detention while I get mixed reactions from everyone in this school. Seeing me with white hair and a princess-y red dress just made everyone think the world was ending. I helped Lonnie snap out of her anger and I asked for nothing in return and that made everyone have at least little hope for me. Lecturing Carlos about control, well, no one can make up their minds about it. Point is, I'm trying to change minds while still being me. Yeah, I know the hair and the dress is too much, but I wanted this. No strings. It's all me.
But then there's also the fact that Uma and Harry have been trying to make a deal with Evie to sabotage me. They should've done that while she and I hated each other. But I can't help but feel that a deal isn't what they want. I'll find out what. I always do.
'Til next time
- Mal"
Only two more chapters, people. This chapter was pretty much setting up the finale.
I have to be honest. I sorta regret giving Carlos magic, but I put myself in this position so I have to deal with it. But I hope I've satisfied everyone's curiosity regarding what he can do and where it came from. Maybe making Carlos' father an OC wasn't the brightest choice I had, but the story must go on.
So, what do you think?