Collaboration with Xez2003

In history, there have been many successful invaders. Clan Dunbroch used to invade each other over and over and sometimes even invaded themselves. No one could ever forget the Huns ascending the mountainous Wall of China and invading the Han Palace. Even Mal's own parents had been invaders of sorts. But, she decided, waving her hand at the dust specks spinning above her head, sunlight must be the most successful invader in all the history of Auradon.

"Does it hurt a lot?" she heard Carlos mutter from somewhere near her left. She kept her eyes closed as she put her chin on her hand and tried to focus on wanting to be awake. She'd much rather just curl up in this comfy spot, cover her head, and-

"Just a bit. It's kinda like a toothache. But in my chest."

Mal opened her eyes and sat up. She peeked her head out from under the top of the fort and saw Carlos sitting with his legs crossed to the side of Ben's legs on the bed. They both looked down at her as she got to her feet and rolled her shoulders.

"Good morning," Ben smiled. "Nice hair."

Mal picked at her hair. One side was ratty. She couldn't find a single witty response in her. "You're not hallucinating anymore," she murmured.

Ben turned bashful. "I guess not," he agreed.

Oh. She didn't like that response. That meant he remembered hallucinating. Mal's mouth turned downwards.

Ben drummed his fingers in his lap and nodded towards the floor. "Carlos was telling me how you two built a fort."

"We did, yes."

"You know you could have put me on the floor, right?"

Mal laughed and shook her head. "Do you need more pain stuff?" she asked. The two bottles were set on her nightstand. She made for them. "I can-"

"Oh, no," Ben groaned. "No thanks. I can feel my brain burning away." He rubbed his eyes and groaned again.

Mal chewed on her cheek. "Can I take a look at your chest?" she asked. "See how well it's healing?"

Ben began to pat around his ribs, looking for the end of the bandage. Mal reached behind him. As she leaned back, their faces drew close together before they both leaned away. Carlos cleared his throat. Well, this morning was already a disaster. She hadn't even been up for ten minutes.

Mal quickly undid it all. She hesitated before undoing the final wrap and glanced cautiously at Carlos to see how he was reacting, then slowly took the rest of it away. There was a divot, not so much a hole though Mal was sure if she pressed on it, there would be. All the skin was mottled red and blue. Bloody scabs still lingered from place to place.

"Not bad," Mal said.

"What's considered bad?" Ben asked and chuckled.

"Well, you're alive, so that's one thing," Mal shrugged. She began to wrap it back up.

"Adam and Audrey tried to kick Mal out," Carlos said. "They want her out of Auradon."

Ben went stiff. "Audrey? Who put her in charge?"

"Your dad's covering for you. She figured she could get a little brave. I told them you'd be fine but they were convinced you were a goner." Mal finished wrapping the bandage and secured it back in its place.

"I'm going to have to put them both in their place." Ben exhaled. "What did you tell them? That I'd imprison them both?"

"You wouldn't imprison them both." Mal rolled her eyes.

"Try me."

She rolled her eyes again. "No. Carlos just told them what you and he had been planning with his friends."

Ben drew a blank expression. Carlos began to snigger. "Actually, Mal, I made that up because I didn't want you to go. But it worked, so my friends really do know about it now." He became solemn. "If he does anything again, we'll let the entire kingdom know he's trying to overthrow you."

"He isn't trying to overthrow me," Ben laughed. "He's just an old stickler. But thanks for sticking up for me, champ." He squeezed Carlos's shoulder. It was the best he could do without sitting up.

Mal chuckled and glanced over to Belle, still asleep. She made to walk over, but Ben grabbed her hand. "One moment," he said. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Talk to me?" Mal repeated weakly.

"Just a moment," Ben said. He glanced over at Carlos. Mal followed his gaze.

Carlos cleared his throat and climbed over Ben's legs. "Guess that's my cue," he said softly.

"Sorry, champ," Ben said. "It'll only be a moment, I swear."

"Don't go too far," Mal called. Carlos opened the door and slipped out. Mal found that her mouth was dry as she turned to face Ben. He was studying her, looking for something. Mal quickly swallowed. "They got the men who set the library on fire," she said. "Not the person who shot you. And the library - only a few things have been recovered. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," Ben murmured. "Mal, I-"

"And the people we saved were in the courts," Mal cut him off. "But they don't know who might have died in there. I-"

"I have something to ask you about," Ben broke in. He set a hand on her knee.

Mal's hands were shaking. She couldn't look him in the eyes. "Yeah?"

"When I was delirious, I was asking for you, and you came. I thought… I thought you kissed me." His cheeks turned crimson.

"Well you turned your head…" Mal began, balling her dress up in her fists. "I mean... Yeah, I did." She forced herself to look up. "We did."

Ben pursed his lips and looked down. He took his hand off her knee and began to twiddle his thumbs again, rotating one around the other and opening and closing his mouth as he tried to figure out what to say. Finally, it came to him and he looked back up at Mal's eyes.

"Great." Was all he said.

Mal made a face. Great? What did that mean? He'd said it in such a light tone as well. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Great," Ben repeated. "That's fabulous. Great." His bangs fell in his face as he considered her. "Could we do it again?"

"Again?"

"Could I kiss you again?"

Mal smoothed her hands over her skirt and shrugged. "I suppose… you're the king… you could do whatever you wanted to if you - mph!"

Ben had stolen her chin and yanked her forward. He kissed her again with his eyes closed and a silent fervor and worship that wasn't lost on her. Far from it. She found his hair and brushed it down before closing her own eyes and responding to him. Where last night had been the product of confusion and filtered reality, this kiss seemed to be the product of pent-up desperation and something improper behind it.

Ben bit her lip and Mal almost jumped away. "Ow!" she said.

"No?" he shrank back. "I'm sorry, I read it in a book and I thought that-"

She took a handful of his hair. "I think you'll find, your majesty, that I can give back just as good as you can give." This time, it was her turn to drag him in, fold her hands behind his neck, and kiss him until all the feeling began to leave her mouth. Ben could hardly keep up. It seemed he was unsure of what to do with his hands. He put them on her face and she could feel how sweaty they were - how hard he was trying to keep them from shaking. She kissed harder and he groaned against her mouth.

They did quit when Ben needed air. Mal wasn't sure if they should let Carlos back in or not. Would it be more suspicious if they kept him out or let him back in?

They both caught their breaths. Mal was the first to attempt civil conversation. "I… didn't ever imagine I'd be in the position to kiss the King of Auradon."

Ben laughed. It made her panic, him laughing. He quit quickly since it hurt so much but still reached over to cup her face. "I've wanted to kiss you for ages," he admitted. "And I've never wanted to kiss anyone before."

"Ever?"

"Not really my area." He leaned in to try it again. Kissing her really softly, experimenting with her response(eager) and then drawing back to chuckle. "You are… the most amazing person I know."

"Where'd you learn how to kiss?" Mal asked. "You're really good at it for someone who's never wanted to before."

"I told you. Books." Ben's cheeks turned a bit red as he admitted this. "My father is not as forthcoming on information as he likes to believe. Most of my information is derived from literature."

"In delay there lies no plenty, so come and-"

"Shut up," Ben snapped.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll… kiss you again to make you shut up." He shook his head. "I'm done with Shakespeare right now."

"Woe is you."

"Woe is me." He shook his head. "What about you? Where'd you learn to kiss?"

"I had a bit of practice last night."

"Ah. I hope it wasn't… horrible with me being so…" he waved his hand and then stopped. "What on earth did you give me?"

"Coca-wine and Laudanum."

Ben shook his hand. "There was something I remembered…" He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "It was important… I was trying to remember what it was when I woke up."

"I have no idea." Mal spread her hands. "You were trying to tell me that the library was on fire and you had been shot."

Ben put a hand to his chest. "I was shot," he whispered again. Mal put her hand over his, leaned in, and pecked him on the lips. "Yes, and now you need to just rest and recoup. Everything will be okay."

The doorknob twisted. "I told you," Carlos was complaining outside. "Ben just said he needed to talk to Mal."

Audrey looked in, frowning. Her eyes lit up when she saw Ben. "You're awake!" she exclaimed. Then, she examined him closer. Mal felt her cheeks turn to crimson as her eyes flit between her mouth and Ben's. "And it looks like you've been talking your mouths off."

Carlos looked in. His expression of exasperation immediately turned comical. Mal sighed and covered her face.

"What are you doing here?" Ben snapped.

"Well, I came to see how you were doing and to check up on Belle, of course," Audrey frowned deeper. "I thought that would be obvious."

"You were asked to keep away, Audrey."

"You were shot! I was worried and I-"

"I know about you trying to send Mal home, too," Ben interrupted. "Maybe we ought to talk about that."

"And not about the fact you're experimenting behind closed doors with a-"

"Audrey."

Mal pinched the bridge of her nose. She could scarcely rip her eyes off the floor to examine Audrey while she was talking. Audrey, meanwhile, was glaring at Mal so intensely… with all the rage in the world… Mal heat the heat of her glare across every pore.

"Fine," Audrey said. "But if I might offer some advice?"

"We require no such-"

"The last person who tried this with a royal ended up deciding it was too much for her."

Ben's face turned red while Mal's heart turned a bit icy. That was what had happened, wasn't it?

Ben opened his mouth to snap at her but Audrey shut the door. She'd probably just done herself in, as far as her place in the palace went, but so long as Ben couldn't follow her and there were no guards he could send after her, she was safe.

"I'm going to throw her out," Ben decided and he thumped his head back. "Dad's choices are to leave with her, hire someone else, or actually step up and take care of Carlos."

"What did he do with you when you were younger?" Mal asked.

"I had my mother and my mother forced him to be there even though he's not the best with kids." Ben ran his hands through his hair. "God, I hate Audrey."

Mal got up. "Carlos!" She called. "You can come back in." The door opened and he slipped back in, creeping slowly. Mal put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You hungry?"

"No," he said. "Where are you going?"

"Just to grab some food for you," Mal said. "You haven't eaten in a day, remember?"

"Can I have food?" Carlos asked.

"We can… have someone else go…" Ben trailed off. "You can stay."

"I need a moment to clear my head," Mal said. "Just stay here with Carlos. I'll only be a minute."

She left the room and leaned back against the door. Holy heavens. She'd just kissed the King of Auradon. Kissed him. What was she thinking? Was she insane?

It didn't matter how kind and strong and smart he was if he was in a completely different social climate than she was. What was she thinking? That he was going to descend from the royals above, marry her in whatever civil ceremony he'd been dreaming of since he could think, and together they were going to toss off everything the world had to say about it? He was King. More than that, he was High King. Her feelings were out of the question. Ben was forever destined to find and marry someone in his circle, so as to keep royalty where royalty belonged.

Deep within her was a fear, though. She was the person who'd been through every social struggle Ben hated. Everything from deplorable work to stagnant acceptance. Was she really someone Ben saw as someone he could love, or was she just some symbol to him?

Mal gathered her thoughts up and chucked them somewhere where they wouldn't bother her until later. She didn't have too long… Ben could always send Carlos after her.

Mal struggled to keep her storming thoughts down as she traveled to and from the kitchens. It was hard when her lips were still numb. She had no idea what she was going to do when she saw Ben in five minutes.

As she was coming up the stairs of the right staircase with her knees shaking and her head almost completely fogged through, a group of six soldiers appeared at the top of the stairs. "There she is!" One announced. "You, drop that tray and put your hands to your head."

"What?" Mal asked. She glanced behind her to make sure sure there was no one there. "Why?"

Four soldiers began marching towards her. The other two drew their guns. Mal quickly put the tray down. They took her hands and arms and bound them. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Ms. Mal, you are hereby under arrest for heresy. If you attempt anything, we will shoot," The commanding officer declared. Mal shut her mouth.

They led her up the stairs, marching around the tray, and straight into Belle's room. Carlos, Audrey, Adam, and a bunch of other soldiers were inside. Ben had swung his legs out of bed and his face was red with anger, but he hadn't stood up yet. Good.

"There she is!" Audrey exclaimed. "Your majesty, I saw Mal casting a spell on Ben. He's been under her control this whole time."

"What?" Mal sputtered. "You saw no such thing! I can't cast any spells at all!"

"It's a facade! I saw her. Her eyes were lit up all red like the Devil's. She's a witch and she's here to usurp the crown and overthrow your family. Ben was accidentally overtaken when she realized he was a weak point."

"Dad, Audrey is a liar. She always has been and these last few weeks have taught her nothing." Ben glared at Audrey, who didn't seem fazed in the slightest. "If I was really under a spell, wouldn't I be acting differently than I have my entire life?"

Adam stroked his chin. "Well, you threw Audrey out, Ben. That was very unlike you."

"She was blaspheming Jane's death! When haven't I told her to shut up when she's been a right idiot?"

Audrey gasped and held a hand to her chest in a false expression of mortal hurt. "Ben," she whimpered. "This is so unlike you."

"Shut up Audrey. You know very well I am not under a spell, you're just jealous of her character!"

"Ben!" Adam said. He looked lost as he pressed a hand to his head. He exchanged looks between Mal, the guards holding her, Ben, and Audrey. Mal followed his gaze and her eyes fell on a bible on the bookcase. She gasped.

"The bible," she said. "I'll swear on it. I will. Bring it over - you can't lie when touching one."

"Of course you can," Audrey dismissed. She picked up the book. "I am a four-hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."

"Not when you're a witch." Ben rolled his eyes. "So if Mal can swear on the bible, either she's a normal person lying or a witch telling the truth."

Adam took the book from Audrey and considered it like it might be fake. Then he held it out to Mal. The guards cut her hands free. Mal put her right hand on the bible and held the other one up. She wanted to make this as clear as possible. "Ben is not under my spell." She said. "To my knowledge, he has never been under any spell."

"So you've never cast any spell on him?" Audrey challenged.

Mal faltered. She technically had - a healing spell. Audrey immediately latched onto her pause. "She has!" she howled. "See! She faltered! She can't lie, like you said."

"A healing spell," Mal blurted out. "And it was purely accidental - I didn't know I could do it!"

Ben pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and groaned.

"You dare?" Adam's face turned that peculiar puce shade. "How dare you!"

"Dad, it's fine," Ben snapped. "She was just trying to stop the bleeding after I was shot and her magic kicked in. Quit yelling at her. It might be the reason I'm alive."

Audrey ripped the bible away. "But you see! She couldn't lie on the bible. She's a witch!"

"You didn't give me a chance to!" Mal snapped. "Hand that back, I can lie just as well as you can!"

"Your majesty." Audrey ignored Mal and turned to Adam. "I took the liberty of summoning Monseigneur Frollo. He's dealt with witches before. The witch Esmerelda and her terrorist people. He swept the streets clean of every traitor in Paris and has been part of Auroria's Magical Justice board for years. I'd trust him even if I were possessed."

Mal's blood ran icy. She felt the world tilt to the far left. Claude Frollo's name was well-known on the streets of the Isle as the ruthless man who despised their kind. The same man who had taken down her mother.

"When will he arrive?" Adam asked. "Will he be able to prove if she's a witch?"

"She's not a witch!" Ben thundered. "I will have no such murderer in my palace!"

Audrey put both hands over her heart. "Don't worry, Ben. We'll fix this in no time. It'll be okay."

"Audrey, you are facing, at the least, charges of false testimony and usurpation. I will have you in the dungeons or banished entirely from my country - not just my kingdom - if you don't come to your senses and tell the truth immediately."

Someone knocked on the door. A guard opened the door. A man with a triangular face and a purple and black tricorn hat. Long purple and black robes swept the floor. Four rings were on his fingers. Three had jewels that winked out at Mal as the sleeves rose and fell with every step. Blue, red, green. The last one was another replica of the Beast Crest.

Wait. That wasn't right.

Audrey had introduced Claude Frollo to Adam. That implied that Audrey didn't know if King Adam knew him. Maybe he didn't, or maybe the two knew each other but didn't have a professional relationship. And Ben had called Frollo a murderer. The Beast Crest had only been the royal family's symbol since Adam married Belle. Only Ben or Adam could have given Frollo that ring, and neither seemed a likely candidate. Something was wrong.

"Is this the girl?" Frollo asked, looking down his nose at her. Mal wasn't sure what to do. She kept looking back and forth between his ring and his face. "She obviously has the mark of magic." He pulled at the end of her hair. Mal squeezed her eyes shut. Ben growled.

"I want him out of my castle," he demanded. "All of you, out of this room, now."

"We'll make sure you're not spelled first," Adam decided. "Monseigneur Frollo, my consultant Ms. Audrey Fanning believes this girl has cast a spell on my son. She says you are the best of your specialization. Can you determine whether this girl has my son under a spell?"

"We had her swear on the bible," Audrey added. "She admitted she'd cast a few spells on him, but said there wasn't one on him now."

"And the boy hasn't had any fits at all?"

"Only bouts of anger," Adam said. "He's usually very calm, but he threw Audrey here out of the palace last October and just barely threatened her with exile."

"It's possible if the girls hate each other then this one could have cast a spell on the lad to make him revile the other." Frollo quit examining Mal's purple hair and turned to Adam. "Have there been any… illicit activities going on? Perhaps there is jealousy involved?"

Ben covered his face while Adam thought. "Perhaps? Ben has always been rather celibate of his own choice, but recently has been seeking out this magical. They had an outing a while ago... They've danced, played piano together…"

"Plenty of time for her to spell him," Frollo decided. He crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, unless the boy is in some sort of a fit, it's rather difficult to tell. There are methods, of course. We could toss her into a river and if she has an evil spirit, she will float."

"Absolutely not," Ben interrupted.

"But that wouldn't determine if she simply has evil intentions," Frollo continued. He snapped his fingers. "There is a likely chance she could have a magical mark. The Lord often marks those witches with heinous deeds with a mark that cannot feel pain or bleed. If she has such a mark, we'll have to dispose of her immediately."

"No!" Mal backed up and had her path blocked by the guards. Adam looked doubtful as he considered Frollo's words.

"Where?" He finally asked.

"Could be anywhere," Frollo said. "Shoulders, back… anywhere."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Ben muttered. He put a hand on the headboard and forced himself to his feet. Everyone gasped and leaned towards him, but Ben waved them all away as he rose to his height. "Audrey," he said. "Give me your hand."

Audrey paused, but apparently didn't see anything odd about this request. She extended her hand. Ben, instead of holding it, took a ring off her finger. Audrey yelped as she felt it slip away, but it was a bit too late to stop him as he held it up to the room. "As you can see, on the inside of this ring, there is Audrey's name inscribed. This ring was given to her and her family back when Audrey was little and my father arranged a betrothal with them. We were forced to spend time when we were younger. I had my mother break that off when I found out and Audrey's always been sour about it. Mal works for my mother. Audrey's been going down to visit for years, trying to get my mom to warm up to her, and has been envious of their relationship. Recently, Mal came here, and I did rather warm up to her. Now, Audrey has accused her out of jealousy after-"

Ben faltered and glanced over at Mal. Mal quickly averted her eyes. She didn't want them to think she was spelling him further. Still, she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for what she knew Ben was about to admit.

"After she walked in on us kissing this morning," Ben finally grit out. "I was kissing Mal. Audrey's angry because she's jealous. That's all. It's a revenge accusation." Ben handed the ring back to Audrey.

Mal felt her eyes burn. Tears worked their way out from underneath her lids. She'd never been so embarrassed and terrified in her life.

"I'm rather confused as to what that spiel was supposed to convince us of," Frollo said.

"Audrey's statement is false. This accusation is a sham."

"But she still failed to swear on the bible, Ben," Adam said.

"She didn't! She only admitted to having cast a healing spell. Have you forgotten that she swore she didn't have me under any spell and I wasn't under one to her knowledge?"

"Well," Frollo frowned, "it could be a hex or a curse or a jinx or-"

"Listen to me-"

"What if she just took it off once she knew we were suspicious?" Audrey asked. "There's no way Ben could know if he was spelled or not."

"I do think that checking Mal for a witch's mark would be the next best course of action," Adam decided. "Unless there's another way we can determine any foul play."

"There is no foul-"

"Search her," Frollo ordered the guards.

Mal barely had time to lock up her arms before someone had seized her neck and began working on the buttons down her back. Two other guards moved to restrain Ben, who had begun shouting and had moved forward to stop them. Audrey took the opportunity to touch his arm and cheek. "It's okay," she cooed. "We're going to figure this out."

"Oh Audrey, burn in-"

"Stand up," A guard ordered Mal. "Arms out."

"There are children present!" Ben suddenly exploded. Mal focused on Carlos, who'd been secluded to behind the bed in the commotion. He was pale and shaking. Frollo, Adam, and Audrey immediately panicked and softened their faces.

"Oh, Carlos, you don't have to be so frightened."

"Don't worry lad, Ben will be just fine…"

"Come on now, lad. Out into the hall."

Frollo set a hand on Carlos's shoulder to guide him to the door. Carlos glanced back once at Mal as the door was opened and then shut in between them. Ben let out a breath. Something tingled in the back of Mal's brain. They must have had some sort of understanding.

It might not be enough to save her privacy. The guard continued down the buttons and Mal squeezed her eyes shut as she felt her outer dress grow looser and looser. Ben had turned to face the wall, angry and stonelike, but Adam and Audrey made no such motions to provide her any sense of decency.

It wasn't just her decency she was afraid of having exposed. Far from it.

The outer dress was peeled off her arms and the guards set on the decency wear underneath it. They were working much faster than she wanted them to. How much longer did she have? Would Carlos be able to hatch whatever plan he and Ben had cooked up before-

Her underdress slipped off and Mal finally broke down. "Monseigneur Frollo," she gasped and almost collapsed and fainted. Her knees had locked up and her vision was slipping away. "I have a mark. A birthmark. It's not the result of magic. It's… heritage."

This statement did cause Ben to turn and squint at her. God, she must look like an absolute wreck. Her hair had never been brushed, she was now in her underclothes, and she was still crying while she tried to compose her thoughts.

Audrey looked triumphant. She looked at Frollo, who waved the guards aside and stepped up to her himself. "Where?" he demanded.

"I don't want to show it," Mal gasped.

"We need to prick it. That's how we determine if it's a magical mark or not. Whether or not it bleeds."

"I don't want to show… everyone," Mal whispered. Her gaze hovered on Ben. "Please."

"Where?" Frollo insisted.

Ben's gaze hit the floor. He shook his head in disgust. Mal knew what he was thinking. "What a sham."

Mal couldn't get her mouth to work out the words, so she squeezed her eyes shut again and patted her shoulder. Frollo's cool hand braced against her neck as he slid the sleeve of her chemise down. Mal put a hand up to keep it from falling in the front. Frollo took both shoulders and turned her around. Mal felt more tears falling as she dipped her head and turned. Adam, Audrey, and several guards gasped.

"I know that mark," Audrey exclaimed. "It's the mark of Maleficent! She was executed for witchcraft over ten years ago!"

"I remember," Frollo agreed. "I signed the execution order myself." He traced the mark, a black curling dragon, with his fingertip. "You said this was a mark of heritage?"

There was a crack above Frollo's head. Everyone looked up. Mal froze. What was that? Another crack and then the entire ceiling gave way right above Frollo's head. A large slab knocked him on the head and he collapsed underneath the pile and did not stir. Audrey and Adam shrieked, but Ben rushed forward, bypassing the guards who'd been restraining him. He bent down, snatched Mal's legs, and hoisted her up to the ceiling as a sandstorm rushed into the room. Golden sand filled the corners, buried the guards, and blinded Adam and Audrey while Ben lifted Mal straight up into the hole in the ceiling. Two other arms grabbed under her arms and pulled her into a passageway right over the room.

When she was safe up there, Ben collapsed to his knees with a wince and pressed onto the bandages. "Go," he waved her away. "Get out!" When he took his hand away, Mal saw blood soaked through the bandages and staining his hand.

"You're hurt!" she protested. "Ben!"

Adam was wiping his eyes. He let out a roar when he glimpsed Mal's feet hanging out of the ceiling.

"Mal, I want you to go," Ben said. "I need you to go. There are doctors here for me, but I can't help you right now. Please, go." He swallowed and covered the wound back up, focusing on her. "Mal, I love you. I want you to go, now."

He loved her? That… that wasn't supposed to happen. "Me?" She repeated. "Are you - you aren't lying?"

"Come on!" Jay yelled in her ear. He pulled her straight to her feet and then towards the passage. Mal wanted to stop, to make sure Ben was okay, but he wouldn't let her. They dashed towards an open entrance in the direction of the front entry. Down a tiny staircase and out to where the large staircases were. Down the hall, guards spilled out of Belle's room. Mal heard Adam roar in the distance.

"There they are!" A guard shouted. Everyone went for their guns. Jay crouched down and made a motion like he was going to rip up the carpet and shake it. Two giant sandstorms appeared in his hands. He began to lash out in motions like punches that sent blasts of sand down, knocking the guards down the hall and into the corner. Then, with a motion like closing a curtain, he urged sand in between the stones of the palace and moved them out of place, effectively sealing off the entrance.

"Let's go!" Jay demanded. He slid down the banister of the stairs.

Mal dashed after him. "Wait, it's winter!" she exclaimed. "I'm not dressed at all! Where are we going? What about Ben? Is Carlos-"

"Too many questions!" Jay flung open the two doors and rotated his hands around. More shouts came from above. The soldiers were climbing through the passageway, still seeking them. They weren't going to be able to catch up, though. Jay had created his magic carpet. He practically shoved her on before he climbed on and they took off.

It. Was. Freezing.

Ice began forming on her face and her skin went grey with chill. Jay's magical sand simply didn't provide enough warmth.

"Did Carlos get you?" Mal shouted.

"Yeah, he said his dad was going to toss you in the river."

"How did he find you? How did you break in?"

"Details to follow."

"No, I want to know now, Jay. I-"

"Details to follow!"

There was a bang and something whizzed past Jay's arm. The guards on the towers had their guns aimed up at the glowing square that was carrying them both away. Mal leaned out and imagined them all stopping, the bullets falling uselessly to the ground, the guns ceasing to fire. A green mist settled down from her palms and moments later, Mal heard the clinking of bullets hitting the ground.

"We're almost there!" Jay yelled. "Brace yourself!" The carpet soared over the wall and began to edge the tops of the trees. They were finally caught by a large pine and the carpet vanished. Jay and Mal tumbled to the ground. He summoned a large sandpile underneath them and they both crashed into it. Mal rolled down the silty slope and groaned when her feet met snow.

"Oh, Jay!" someone snapped. "Your magic makes such a mess!"

Mal looked up. It was Evie, dressed in fur and blue leather and looking so beautiful Mal wanted to cry. "Oh, Evie!" She gasped. "How are you always everywhere I need you to be?"

"Hey, I'm here too," Jay snorted. "It's not like I just got you out of that sham."

"She's naked," Evie deadpanned. "Couldn't you have grabbed her a shirt or something?"

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. Next time I'll make sure to rifle through all the drawers using magic in the hopes of finding something to throw over her shoulders even though we're just going to dash out here and you're going to take her away."

"Take me away?" Mal asked. "Where? What about you?"

The guards shouted up on top of the wall. Jay ducked into the trees. "Sorry Mal, I'd love to stay and chat, but there's a chance they don't know who I am and I'm kinda banking on that."

"Jay has to go, you need clothes, and I need to get us out of here," Evie said, taking whatever furry thing was around her neck and putting it on Mal's shoulders. "God, I hate Frollo."

"Evie," Mal took a deep breath. She was feeling very overwhelmed, but one thing kept popping back into her head. "Ben told me he loved me."

Evie rolled her eyes. "What a shocker. But there's going to be better times to talk about how dense the two of you are, now let's-"

"No, he said it just now," Mal said. "I don't get it. I mean…"

"Of course he said he loved you," Jay drawled. "You were half naked and he was in a perfect position to look up your skirts. Any reasonable guy would have been declaring love." He rolled his eyes. "Evie, you better get her out of here before she faints. She's obviously in shock."

"Get lost, Jay," Evie rolled her eyes, but her smile matched Jay's. Up above, guards had found them and were pointing down. "Your cover's about to be blown."

Jay saluted them both and took off running into the woods. Evie pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket. She twirled her fingers around the top of it and it took on life, expanding over their heads until it descended on them both. Mal felt it wrap around them, felt the cold air cut off, and heard the shouting of the guards grow distant. Then the cloth vanished and Mal looked around.

"Is this… the lake?" Mal asked. It looked exactly like the place Ben had brought her on their outing.

"You know this place?" Evie asked.

"Ben brought me here. Just to talk." Mal peered out into the water's surface. "How is this not frozen?" she asked. "How is it so warm here?"

Evie laughed. "Trust Ben to take you to a magical place. This is the enchanted lake. Royals use the water for christenings. And if you know where to look…" She leaned against a tree with a thick trunk and knocked on it. It was hollow. She pulled on a branch and part of it opened, like a door.

"Is there something underground?" Mal asked. The hole went straight into the ground, disappearing into the dark.

"Oh, that's just storage," Evie said. "Here." She helped Mal reach out and wrapped her hand around something warm, but invisible. Mal let out a breath. "All the way up," Evie whispered. "There's someone waiting for you who can help you out."

Mal felt along the trunk of the tree for another bar. About a foot above the first, she found it. A little invisible ladder. Incredible. She stepped out over the black hole, found a footrest, and began to climb up. The top of the trunk was open. She climbed right up out of it and up over the rest of the treetops. The only thing above her were clouds, but Mal was suspicious of them now, too. She watched them get closer and closer until she could touch the bottom of one. It felt like cotton. Fluffy, thick, and full of substance. This cloud was a lie.

She climbed up past the first cloud. Once she was above it, she could see tiny pine trees sprouting in between pretty stone and spruce homes with cheery warm lights inside. Little farms and little wells and tiny pinecones lining the paths from home to home to home. Kids were exploring, peering down at the ground through holes and thin spots, and carrying toys from home to home. Incredible.

Mal followed Evie's directions and went straight to the top. She passed layer after layer of cloud communities. And finally, she felt the bars end near the very top.

Mal climbed onto the cloud. This one was the most sparse of any she had passed and had only one path leading up to another cookie-cutter home. She wrapped her arms around herself and took a few steps forward. Should she go up and knock?

As she was considering this, the door opened and a shadow filled the doorframe. Then another behind it. Two people emerged and hurried down toward her. If Ben saying he'd loved her had fried her brain, this was the burning substance. Mal couldn't even move as the two ran down the pathway and picked her up, almost as one.

"Oh, is it really you?" One said.

"I can't believe you're here!"

"Darling, are you alright?"

Mal felt the air leaving her. Her brain was too overwhelmed and there wasn't enough oxygen in her lungs. "How…" she swallowed and tried again to remember how to use this language. "How are you alive?"

Collaboration with Xez2003