Chapter Twenty-Four
Without Exception

"Wyatt says Wynter is doing fine," Eliza told them, studiously avoiding their glances at the casual way she had obtained this information. "She's a little confused, like he was, but nothing else happened from what they can tell and as Wynter didn't actually touch the silver she wasn't burned either."

"That's a relief," Bree exhaled before shaking her head. "It seems like almost everyone around here has been spelled at some point." She glanced around nervously as if her turn was waiting beyond the next corner.

"I think you're safe, Bree."

"What?" Bree started and looked to Eliza.

"From Addison," Eliza elaborated. "Crazy or not I highly doubt she'd ever bespell you."

"Gre sartinra nik?" Bonzo asked with a worried glance toward Bree.

"Very certain," Eliza answered. "Haven't you noticed that Bree's never been around when all the singing or spell-casting gets started? I hypothesized about this weeks ago, and so far all signs have proven my theory correct." She shrugged. "I'm not one hundred percent certain," she admitted. "But close enough."

Bree didn't look entirely convinced that "close enough" was comfortable enough for her, but she still tried to give Bonzo a reassuring smile all the same.

"I think Bonzo and I are safe too, for the same reasons. And obviously Zed, of course."

"Gree?" Bonzo's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Yes, you."

"Why would you think that?" Zed's brows furrowed in question.

"Same reasons as Bree." Eliza tossed out nonchalantly.

"And those would be…?" Zed prompted.

Eliza gave him a look that clearly read, 'I can't believe I even have to explain this to you right now.'

"Because she cares." Bree's voice was quiet, her jovial face set into serious lines. She met Zed's eyes, her smile soft but sad. "Addie cares about us."

"Though she probably thinks Zed is dead so…"

"Elizka," Bonzo quietly admonished at Zed's flinch.

Bree fiddled with her phone. "Do you think that's why I haven't seen Addie yet?"

Eliza shrugged. "Most likely."

"Do you guys miss her?"

"Za," Bonzo agreed, his sad eyes on the bespectacled girl walking beside him. He looked to Eliza who clenched her jaw stubbornly but after a moment she relented.

"Yeah, okay, Miss Perky grew on me. Alright, I said it. It won't be mentioned again. Agreed?"

Bree felt a small smile tugging at her lips at Eliza's defensiveness and Bonzo's knowing grin as he nudged his friend with a friendly arm bump. Only one member of their group was still quiet. She glanced over at Zed to see that he was staring at her. She shifted, uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze. "Zed?" She questioned. "What is it?"

"I know you," he said, continuing to stare.

She gave him a tentative smile of encouragement in return. "Of course you do."

"No." Zed was already shaking his head, a look of frustration and awe fighting for dominance on his face. "I mean, I know you. From before."

Bree's brows scrunched together in confusion. "Before what?"

"Before – this," he made a hapless gesture at the whole of himself before sliding a hand through his dark green hair and pulling. "I mean, I think I remember you."

"You do?" Bree's jaw dropped open in stunned surprise before she was squealing in happiness and throwing her arms around him in an impulsive hug. When Zed let out an "oof" of surprise she stepped back hurriedly. "Sorry! I'm just – this is so awesome, Zed!" She all but bounced on the balls of her feet. "Does this mean you remember Addie, too?"

Zed felt a jolt at the name, some brief flicker of something silver passing through his mind's eye, but it was gone before he could comprehend what it meant. He shook his head. "No." He held back a wince as Bree's entire demeanor fell; even the buoyant ribbon in her hair seemed to deflate.

"Oh. Well." She pushed her glasses further up her nose. "That's alright. I'm sure it'll all come back eventually. I mean, this is still really big! I mean, I can't believe you'd remember me of all people." Eliza scoffed.

Zed gave her a half smile. "Why wouldn't I remember you? You've sat with us Zombies at lunch practically from the beginning. That's a big deal."

Bree's smile returned in an instant, widening to a grin. She gave him a friendly punch on the arm. "So you do remember. Cool. It's just a matter of time." The bell let out its familiar ring and Bree glanced up at it. "Shoot, I gotta get to class. But I'll see you all later, yeah?"

"Yeah, see ya later, Bree." Zed waved as she headed toward music with Bonzo, her footsteps all but bouncing in excitement as she and Bonzo discussed the good news. Zed shook his head at their enthusiasm, something catching his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a blonde cheerleader walk by – one of the Aceys if he wasn't mistaken. He felt disappointment surge through him for some reason, but shook it off as he headed toward his history class.

Why couldn't he remember that Addison-girl? Was she somehow not very close to him? Everyone talked about he and this girl like they might've been dating or something – now that was a wild idea! – but they must be mistaken. Surely he'd remember someone that important to him.

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't notice Eliza's studying gaze as he wandered off in a contemplative daze.

Mal was tense as she walked beside Evie, Lonnie, and Jane on campus. It had now been several weeks since she'd run into Addison on Uma's ship and while there had been plenty of sightings of their wayward siren, and rumors abound of singing and weird magic, they still hadn't come up with a plan of action. It was driving her to distraction.

Especially as, now more than ever, Mal felt all the attention of being an Enchanted, of two infamous villains no less, and the heir to Auradon's throne's girlfriend. They'd already been under the spotlight for numerous reasons but with Addison pulling all her crazy stunts the cameras and paparazzi seemed to be following Mal around with an intensity that boarded on intrusive.

She felt like if she were to turn around and shout "Boo!" to the lot of them they'd broadcast and print it so far and wide that the entire kingdom would not only turn on her, but her friends – all those from the Other Side, and then when Ben tried to stand up for them he'd be immediately ostracized too and then–

"I can't wait to see you become queen of Auradon one day, Mal."

"Yeah, me too," Mal agreed. She froze on the spot. "Wait. What?"

"Hello," Lonnie laughed good-naturedly, mistaking Mal's flushed cheeks for embarrassment rather than the panic that it really was. "You're going as Ben's date to his King-in-Waiting Ceremony. That's practically an engaged-to-be-engaged-to-be-engaged kind of a thing. It means he's serious about you. I wouldn't be surprised if they make you a lady of the court not long after just to make it more official."

"I-is that something I should be asked first?" Mal tumbled over her words as Evie squealed in joy at the thought of her best friend becoming a lady of the court. "I mean, did anyone ask what I wanted? Don't I get a say in this? Or is everything in my life going to be planned now without my –" She cut off her wild ramble of words as a familiar arm slid around Mal's shoulder.

Ben's touch both soothed her panic and caused a silent spike. She wanted to be with Ben, more than anything really. But the mounting pressure involved in it was tarnishing what had once seemed so simple and easy. She had a brief, fleeting wish that they were just two normal, mortal teenagers with nothing more to worry about than their next history exam. But when she glanced over at Ben to see him giving her a bright, happy smile as if it filled him with joy just to be in her presence, she mentally shook the wish away. She'd never want Ben to be anything other than exactly who he was: warm, honest, compassionate, open… All the things she struggled with daily, but, she hoped, was making tentative steps towards. Still…

The pressure remained and it made her heart clench more than just the tiniest bit in fear and anxiety.

She gave Ben a small smile before he could notice anything was off then turned her attention toward the quad as Ben engaged Lonnie and Jane in conversation. She spotted a familiar trio of green heads and watched as they interacted. Everything appeared normal between the three but the longer she watched the more she observed the slight creasing of one's brows, the way he returned greetings but the look of wary puzzlement lingered.

Mal felt a jolt as she realized she felt a strange kinship with Zed. His missing memories and the unknowing weight of expectations from those around him put an invisible weight on his shoulders, a pressure on him to remember both because he wanted to and because they wanted answers.

It was bizarre to feel a stirring of empathy for the lanky teen Zombie, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as it might once have been. She pondered for a moment on when that had begun to change and couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Glancing at Ben she realized she couldn't pinpoint the moment when her feelings for Ben had begun either. They had just simply…been there.

A bell sounded and everyone began making motions to head off in different directions for their next class.

"Will I see you after practice?" Ben asked Mal, hope in his eyes.

"Evie needs me for a dress fitting," she told him with regret. His smile dimmed just the slightest bit but renewed just as fast at the thought of attending Cotillion with Mal at his side. "I'm counting down days," he told her with an excited grin.

Mal laughed and pretended not to notice the slight, uncertain shake in it. "Me too."

"See you later, Mal," he said as he looped off toward his advanced government class.

"I'll text you," she promised back as she watched his retreating back for a moment, feeling her smile drop as a fresh wave of panic engulfed her. She took in a deep breath, held it, and released it slowly in an attempt to calm her nerves before heading to her literature class.

She could almost pretend it worked.

Zed leaned against the rusting metal fence and gazed around the dim cement room with its colorful murals. The Zombie Light Garden had always been a particular favorite spot of his, the spot as romantic as it was soothing, and he could use a little calm right now.

He hummed a mindless tune under his breath as he let his thoughts wander, reabsorbing the disconcerting feeling of knowing and not knowing, memories new and old and some that were new-old. He wondered if someday he'd remember all that he'd forgotten or if some things, some moments were just permanently gone. And if so, should he mourn them? But how did you mourn something you never knew you had?

He sighed, raking a hand through his messy, sweat-dampened green hair. A quiet sound had him turning to see a familiar face peek around the corner.

"Thought I'd find you here," Eliza said as she wandered in. "Bonzo mentioned you looked a little…lost after tourney practice. He saw you when you left campus," she told him before he could ask. She watched him, her gaze steady, patient.

"I remembered Bree today," he told her after a long moment.

"I noticed that, yeah," Eliza said and Zed felt one corner of his mouth kick up briefly.

"I still feel like there're some gaping holes in the memories, though," he confided with a defeated sigh, leaning more heavily on the cold metal rod.

"Probably." He glanced at her wearily. Eliza raised a dark green brow. "Are you looking for comfort or logic?"

"Maybe both?" Zed questioned, uncertain, before letting his head fall into his hands, scrubbing his face, and then looking back at his childhood friend where she stood waiting. The pleading look in his eyes had her shoulders dropping a bit as she relented and moved closer.

"Yes, you're still missing memories," she told him, her tone somehow both clinical and gentle at the same time. She didn't have to say how she knew; they both already did though Zed's knowledge was still only second-hand. "But they'll come back, Zed."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"How can you be so confident?"

She didn't miss a beat. "Because I'm the smart one."

"Ha." Zed's face said he was unamused.

She sighed, relenting. "This place…it was significant to you both."

"It is?"

She heard the present tense as well as the surprise in his voice and worked to push back a smile. "You probably feel closer to her here." She watched him look around the garden with new eyes. "And that song you were humming before I came in," she added after a debated moment. She didn't want to push him.

He stared, not realizing she'd overheard him. "What about it?"

"Zed, she was humming it too at the dock when we found her." She heaved a heavier sigh at the dumbfounded look on his face. "You're remembering. You just don't consciously realize it yet. Brains are tricky things and you knocked yours up pretty good." She shook her head in mild amusement as he stood frozen in shock, staring at her. "Why do you two have to be so much trouble?"

He gave her a weak smile in response.

"Come to Cotillion with us, Zed."

Zed started, the statement seeming to come out of nowhere. He shifted uneasily. "I don't feel like –"

"She would've wanted to go with you, you know. All dressed up in some frothy pink nightmare with five-inch heels just so she would reach your shoulders." Eliza shivered in exaggerated horror and Zed felt a corner of his lips lift despite himself. Encouraged, she laid a hand on his arm, imploring him to listen. "We're going to her back, Zed. I swear to you, we will. Memories or no memories. It might not be tonight or tomorrow or next week, but we will figure out how, and she's going to want to hear all about our time at Cotillion rather than how you stared at your ceiling morosely all night."

She heaved a sigh at his continued look of uncertainty. Grasping his wrist she began to pull him down from the raised platform and out of the dim room. "Come on," she said without looking back, despite his stumbling protests. "I'm sure we can find something for you somewhere."

"Eliza, I don't –"

She nodded as if he'd voiced a question. "Right. Evie first. I'm sure she has an idea or two if she hasn't made something for you already."

"What? But –"

"I know it's a little unorthodox to ask an EK to design something for you for Cotillion, let alone go to such a grand event ourselves, but that girl lives and breathes fashion. Besides," she threw over her shoulder, "I have to go in for a fitting, apparently, and I'm not going alone. You can stand there awkwardly in the corner while she does things with pins and tape measures." She grinned and there was a gleam in her eyes. "And then I'll make sure she extends the favor to you."

"I'd like to call this meeting to order," Fairy Godmother intoned as she banged a gavel on the podium to gain everyone's attention. It was one week before Cotillion and Ben's King-in-Waiting ceremony, and the energy was as high in the room from excitement as it was in anxiety about the reason they were gathered tonight.

The clamor of voices quieted down to a dull murmur as Fairy Godmother raised a silent brow at the audience. As everyone settled into their seats she continued.

"Now, Their Majesties have invited us all here today to discuss the," she paused, searching for the right words, "ongoing rumors that someone is using magic to have Auradon citizens ensorcelled." There was an outcry at Fairy Godmother's choice of words, many shouting that it wasn't rumor, that their child or friend or neighbor had been cast under a spell.

"Everyone," Fairy Godmother banged her gavel again to settle the gathered audience once more. "We hear your concern. That is why we are here tonight. Now, everyone who wishes to speak will get a chance to voice their opinion on these matters." She glanced over at King Adam and Queen Belle who nodded, solemnly. "Our first speaker tonight is Missy Wells." Fairy Godmother stepped away from the podium to allow Addison's foster mother to step up.

Ben did his best not to grimace, shifting as subtly in his chair as he could next to his parents. His mother gave him a quick look that betrayed nothing, but seemed to speak volumes to her son. Belle's hands tightened ever so minutely in her lap as Missy began to speak.

"I stand before you today as a concerned citizen of Auradon," she said, looking out imploringly to the audience. "These…rumors," she put just the slightest emphasis on the word, "are indeed fact. Many of our children have been held captive by spell work. Spells and magic which are supposed to be illegal. Magic that is supposed to be regulated so that those of us without the means to defend ourselves against them can sleep peacefully at night." She paused as there were murmurs of assent throughout the audience.

"My own nephew was trapped in a spell, forced against his will to destroy and steal Auradon history while his fellow classmates were wrenched about like puppets on a string – causing damage to the school and surrounding areas. We cannot stand for this any longer. It must not be allowed to continue. Our children deserve to grow up safe and protected, not living in fear."

Ben felt his fingers tighten on the armrest of his chair as more and more people began to cry out their agreement with each of Missy's statements. This was not good.

"Our Guards are overworked; running all over the kingdom, trying to protect our citizens while this Enchanted is allowed to run amok. My husband has been run ragged. And so soon after our daughter…" she trailed off, blinking rapidly for a moment and Ben couldn't decide if the woman was truly upset about Addison's disappearance or had a propensity for the stage.

"We have lived in peace, in prosperity for so many years," she continued. "It is only recently that things have…changed." Her lips pursed briefly, as if she'd bitten into something sour. "Exceptions to behavior are being made that we would not have tolerated in the past, threatening our children's very lives. These exceptions cannot be tolerated any longer. As a concerned Auradon citizen, I beseech you, do not let these new laws and regulations stand. Stand with me in my proposal to have the old laws reinstated!

"Let all those caught using magic illegally, or using abilities beyond normal Human capabilities be exiled to the Other Side. Permanently. And without exceptions." A cheer began to rise in the audience that Ben only just now realized was almost completely Human. "No magic, no Zombie strength or rampaging, no howling or use of teeth or nails in threat." More people joined in the clapping and shouts of agreement. "No exceptions." Missy had to raise her voice to be heard over the audience. "And plans for next year's continued opening of schools should be suspended until further notice."

Missy's smile was radiant as she stepped down from the podium. The clamor inside was loud enough to hurt Ben's ears. He winced as Fairy Godmother banged her gavel against the podium, trying to restore order.

Ben's heart was racing, his stomach twisting. Was everything falling apart? Would the Humans of Auradon allow their fear and ignorance to win out above cooperation, reconciliation, and understanding? He glanced over at his parents to see that his mother's face was a calm mask but her eyes had narrowed ever so slightly in distaste as she followed Missy's steps back to her seat. Belle's lips were pressed together firmly as if to prevent herself from making accusations herself, though, in Ben's opinion, his mother's wouldn't be as unfounded as Missy Wells. Glancing further down towards his father Ben was surprised to see that his father had his elbows propped up on his armrests, his fingers laced in front of his mouth as he studied his citizens with a discerning gaze. He didn't say a word or make a move but Ben could sense his disproval. It helped relax something inside to see his father, who had been the hardest to convince about Ben's idea toward reunification, was displeased with the proceedings.

As Fairy Godmother called the next speaker up, Ben resettled himself in his chair. It was going to be a long night. And while his parents' reactions told him they weren't giving up without a fight, Ben also knew that the ripples from tonight's meeting would spread further than the conference hall. How far and for how long though was anybody's guess.

His lips pressed together in an imitation of his mother's as he thought of Mal and their friends, wishing there was a way to protect them all from the ugliness of human selfishness and fear.

Whispers and hushed, tense voices were the pervading sounds everywhere on campus.

Carlos and Jane exchanged uneasy glances. Ben had told them what had happened at the emergency meeting the other night with Jane adding what she knew from her mother. It had made them all more than a little uneasy, every student at Auradon High now on edge as they all wondered what the pattern of their lives at school would look like next year or who, if any, would be permanently exiled over the barrier.

While many Others had cause for concern, in many ways it was the same as it had always been. In a rather bemusing twist of irony, their M-bands kept them safe from the possibility of the new rules and regulations that had been proposed. It was the students and families who had lived on the Human Side with their magical heritage that had cause to worry. People like Jane who were very identifiably from magical families and had no bands to conceal it tight.

"Hey." Carlos laid a warm hand on Jane's forearm when she glanced uneasily at the watchful eyes of their classmates. "It's going to be okay. Nothing's been decided."

"I know. I'm just…not used to all the staring." She shifted on her feet, feeling the weight of different sets of eyes darting in her direction. "It's like they're all waiting for me to pull a wand out of my pocket and set them floating about the ceiling."

"Do you know a spell for that?" Carlos asked, genuinely curious as he measured out the metallic substance from its glass jar with precision.

"No," Jane let out a shaky but honest laugh. "My mother says true magic is in the books."

Carlos grinned though his eyes never left the material in his hands. "Your mother's right. At least in my opinion. But then, I always thought science can do anything magic does; that they're really not all that different."

"Can you turn a pumpkin into a carriage with science?" Jane asked, curious.

"Sure," Carlos said. "Just give me time to grow one big enough. Then hand me a saw, some wheels, an axle and a few other tools. I can't guarantee your dress might not smell like pumpkin for weeks or that the seat might not be squishy. And Auradon knows it'll mildew in just a couple days, but yeah, sure, I can do that." Jane laughed and it eased his heart to hear the sound.

"Hey, Jane?" Carlos asked into the buoyant quiet that settled between them.

"Yeah?"

"Will you, that is, if you don't mind... Would you like to go to Cotillion with me? And then after we can – if you don't absolutely hate me by the end of it – maybe we can go get a coffee? Or dessert?"

The only sound to follow his question came the rustle of the leaves about them as a breeze danced through the trees. Carlos didn't dare look, his eyes trained on his experiment, trying to keep his hand from shaking and causing an accident.

"Like, as a date?" Jane finally asked, and her voice sounded a little breathless. "We can hold hands and stuff?"

"Yeah." Carlos's heart was beating so fast in his chest he thought for sure everyone could see it.

"I'd love to!"

"You would?" Carlos gasped, turning rather abruptly, his hand tilting with the motion and he felt his stomach drop out for a second. He grabbed Jane by the waist and swung her away from the picnic table, tucking her face into his chest as a small wall of flames shot up behind him.

There were several startled gasps and even a scream or two as other students eating nearby in the outdoor picnic area scattered away from the fire that had seemed to have lit up out of nowhere.

"Dalmatians," Carlos cursed. He loosened his hold on Jane and eased back to look at her. "Are you okay?"

Her cheeks were rather flushed but she didn't seem panicked or frightened. "Perfectly," she murmured, dazed by the sudden close contact. It took her a moment to hear all the noise around them. "What happened?"

"It was magic." A voice snapped in grim triumph and they turned to see Doug's cousin standing mere feet away, all but quivering in victory.

"It was an accident," Carlos corrected him, his brows furrowed. "My hand slipped is all."

"You created fire," Harold continued. "From water."

"It's called science," Carlos argued, confused and irritated.

"Magic," Harold insisted. His smile was cold but his eyes were unnerving, a shade fanatical. "I thought for sure it'd be one of your friends who'd be kicked out first. Who would've thought it'd be the de Vil kid?"

"Kid?" Carlos scoffed. "You're only a couple of years older than me. Tops."

"So you're no longer going to deny it was magic?" Harold insisted. "I should go get Principal Lee right now. There are plenty of witnesses." He waved a hand around at the students peeking out from behind tree trunks in the shady eating area – those who hadn't fled at the initial fire bloom.

"It's not magic, Harold," Jane argued, her cheeks flushed with frustration and worry. "It's science. We can prove it."

"You'll say anything to cover up for your boyfriend," Harold countered with a hard gleam in his eyes. Before Jane could respond there was a commotion behind them. They glanced over to see Mal stalking forward with narrowed eyes of her own.

"Leave them alone, dwarf."

Happy's son sent her a sly look, a challenge in his eyes. "You lot can't wiggle yourselves out of this one," he insisted. "Your Enchanted buddy set fire to water. I saw it, as did a few others. I have witnesses."

"It was sodium metal reacting to water – a chemical reaction," Carlos reiterated like he was trying to teach the stubborn dwarf that one plus one equaled two. "Go find a chem teacher, dude. Any one of them will agree."

"How do we know that you won't just bespell them to make them say whatever you want?"

"Because I don't know how to do magic." Carlos's face was calm, if not lined with faint irritation, though his tone said he was mentally rolling his eyes.

Harold scoffed. "You're from the Other Side. You're an Enchanted. So are all your friends."

"Not everyone from the Other Side is Enchanted, Harold," Jane pointed out.

"True," the stubborn dwarf agreed. "Some of them are monsters created by Enchanteds."

Jane looked torn between wanting to slap a palm to her own face in exasperation and slapping one across her classmate's. "They're not monsters," she argued. "And you're not exactly Human yourself, Harold. Neither am I," she tacked on at the end with force if not a little uncertainty. "My mother is a fairy."

"Not all fairies will make all your dreams come true," Harold muttered with a glare toward Mal. "Some are the stuff of nightmares."

Mal had no hesitations about rolling her eyes. "Oh for skies sake, yes. My mother is Maleficent, a dark fairy. Get over it."

"Who could turn into a dragon at will."

"I'd like to turn into a dragon at will," Mal muttered, becoming thoroughly over this conversation. "Then I could show you what real magic is like."

"Is that a threat?" Harold inched closer.

"Make of it what you will. This entire conversation is asinine and done. All you have is your prejudice and fears; throwing wild accusations about when any being in Auradon could throw a little substance–"

"Sodium," Carlos inserted.

"Sodium," Mal continued, "on to water and bam! Presto! Eureka! Fire." She grabbed Carlos's forearm, tugging him gently but firmly away. "Come on. Leave him to stew in his own idiocy. Gods know, he's probably flunking his chem class and that's why he's throwing a tantrum like a spoiled prince who dropped his lollipop in the dirt." Jane pressed her lips together to keep from laughing but Carlos let a smile inch its way across his.

"All bark and no bite," Harold taunted behind their backs as the trio began to make their way through the small, gathered crowd. "Your parents must be disappointed as hell to have you for a daughter." There was a collective gasp from the gathered students and Mal froze. Carlos and Jane immediately reached for Mal, but she turned slowly to face her classmate. Her eyes shone a vibrant, verdant green, and everyone with a modicum of self-preservation took a step back.

"You haven't a clue what true hellfire is, dwarf," she spat the last word like it was something nasty she'd stepped in in an alley. "Keep your ignorant comments to yourself before you find out what real magic is." Mal made a quick motion with her wrist that was followed by a small explosion of fire near Harold's feet where a small puddle of water sat. She smirked as he yelped and jumped away from the flames.

"Mal," Carlos warned under his breath.

"It's just a little science," she assured him though he didn't look entirely convinced. He hadn't seen her pick up any of the flammable substance. "Come on," she repeated before motioning for Carlos and Jane to precede her out of the crowd. "Evie and Jay are waiting."

The students around them parted in awe as they watched the trio leave. The ones standing closest to Harold inched away at the look of loathing in the dwarf son's eyes.

"You threatened Happy's son?" Ben asked, incredulous. They stood in a quiet corner of the garden on the castle grounds, far from any listening ears. Of course Ben had heard about the showdown between Harold and Mal that afternoon. It had spread like wildfire across campus. It was a miracle Principal Lee hadn't had Mal hauled into her office immediately, though perhaps the many witnesses Harold claimed he had had worked against him and in Mal and Carlos's favor instead.

Still, they couldn't afford this kind of attention. Not with Cotillion in a matter of days. Certain people were already clamoring to exclude Others from the guest list at the ceremony and following celebration. Ben had put his foot down, metaphorically speaking, but his parents might have to cave to pressure if enough people called for it in the wake of blatant magic usage when it was such a touchy subject at the moment.

"It was nothing." Mal waved away Ben's concern. She studied the tranquil water of the little pond beside them. Some part of her not wanting to look Ben in the face as she tried to brush off his words. "Not even a threat."

"You used magic, Mal!"

"Just a little," she tossed airily though it was anything but. She relented and met his gaze. "Look, he was picking on Carlos and Jane. The guy was looking for a fight. Jane said he was going on and on about trying to get Carlos expelled and exiled permanently back to the Other Side. I just…gave him a little warning is all. It was fine. Harmless."

"This isn't the Other Side, Mal!"

Mal froze, her flustered expression turning stony. "Yeah. I know that. Believe me."

"You can't just magic away your problems," Ben continued, feeling a twinge of guilt at Mal's flushed face. He watched her tense up with every word, but felt almost reckless in his need to make her understand. "We have to work through this – together. Magic is the problem. Not the solution. That's why that entire meeting was called in the first place – excessive magic usage!"

"Magic isn't a problem, Ben. It can do a lot of good." She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive maneuver that made Ben want to hold her and soothe her anxiety but he refrained, with a struggle. "I'm sure you never hear Cinderella complain about Fairy Godmother showing up and giving her a magical night."

"That's not the point, Mal. We need to not be dependent on magic. We have to trust in –"

"But that's just it!" Mal threw her arms up in the air. "You don't trust us, Ben! No one in Auradon trusts any of us from the Other Side. They don't trust anyone who is the slightest bit different. You don't trust us to be ourselves.

"Look what happened to Addie," she continued, her stomach rolling with nausea and anxiety. She knew Ben had a point. A good one. But she had one to make, too. "She shoved herself down, deeper and deeper into this mold to fit everyone else's expectations to the point that she wore a wig just to try and fit in. A wig, Ben! Because her hair wasn't a color anyone wanted to see. And then she discovers that she's been suppressing her magic, her own innate self this entire time to the point that when she discovers it it blows up in everyone's faces because rather than teaching control, you've been teaching fear. She fears herself, Ben. Now more than ever because this society terrified and abused her until she lashed out trying to protect herself. And people got hurt." Mal felt tears rise in her eyes, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Gods, if only she could go back in time and find Addison when she was a kid and show her that who and what she was…there was nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be ashamed of. That she was exactly who she was supposed to be, and people would love and care for her just as she was, magic and all.

If there was one thing Maleficent had gotten right all those years ago it was to make sure her daughter not only knew who she was, but was proud of it too. Maleficent had taught her to hold her head high despite her uncertainty. And Mal suddenly felt grateful to her mother for that.

"This is me, Ben." She held her arms out wide. "Magic and all. I'm not one of those pink, perfect princesses. I'm an EK – an Enchanted. Magic is in my blood. It's part of who I am. And no one has the right to take my heritage away from me." She gave him a look that was part righteous anger, part grief, her voice quiet but clear. "Not even a king."

"Mal…" Ben gaped at her, searching desperately for something to say. He tried to reach out for her. "I –"

"No," she took several steps back, keeping herself out of reach. She knew what she had to do. What her heart was telling her she must do. Even if it broke hers in the process. "I'm done, Ben. Just…I'm done." She turned on her booted heel and hurried away across the grounds as fast as she could before the tears could fall. Not once looking back, though it felt like every breath she took would pierce a lung from her shattered heart as she ignored Ben's pleas for her to come back.

I don't belong here, she told herself. This shiny, fake place with all its rules about who is important and who isn't. At least on the Other Side everyone leaves you to live life however you want – lets you be whomever you want, whatever you are.

They're not hypocritical. They don't judge. They'll steal you blind, but at least they won't pretend otherwise. No one on the Other Side puts up a façade.

And I'm sick of pretending.

Ben sat in his mother's library, his eyes lighting upon the rows and rows of books contained within.

It had been his father's first real gift to his future queen, and Mrs. Potts said it had thrilled Belle beyond belief. Sometimes, if Ben sat in that large, comfortable room with its towering windows and endless ladders and bookshelves long enough, he thought he could hear the echo of his mother's gasp of delight.

Ben toyed with his phone, pushing it idly one way across the warm oak table and then the other. He'd tried contacting Mal several times since their argument that afternoon, once he'd found his voice again, but Mal wasn't picking up. She wasn't answering his texts either.

He'd hesitantly brought it up with his mother, minus a few details of course, and she had advised him to give Mal a little space. That it wasn't abnormal to have a disagreement with people you were close with from time to time. She'd pointed out that she and his father had argued almost constantly from the time they first met at one point.

Reassured, Ben had escaped to the place that felt most like home to him. Belle's library. He smiled at the thought. His mother had instilled in him a great love of reading, and he'd spent the vast majority of his childhood in this one room, slipping in whenever he got the chance. It was the most soothing place in Auradon to him.

An image of Mal's watery eyes and face flushed in bitter disappointment flashed across his mind's eye and Ben frowned as his heart shrank in his chest.

Leaning his elbows on the table he buried his face in his hands. I messed up so bad.

There was a polite knock at the door before the sound of heels made their way toward him across the marble flooring. Ben scrubbed at his face with a sigh before turning to see who had entered the room. With a blink he stood up so fast he nearly toppled the chair behind him.

"Evie! I'm so glad you're here. I've been trying to get a hold of Mal and –"

Evie's face was solemn as she held out a folded piece of paper toward him. Brows furrowing in confusion he took the note from Evie's red-gloved hand. As he opened the note, his eyes scanning the hastily scrawled words Ben's eyes widened in shock even as he felt his stomach drop past the floor below his feet.

"Wha –"

"Mal's not coming back, Ben," Evie told him, her voice soft. She watched him in concern as he stared first at the note, then at Evie.

"What? No. It's just – she's coming back. She has to."

"Ben." Evie's tone was as hesitant as it was gentle. "I'm sorry." She held out her hand to him and he automatically reached out to her. When she dropped the small, cool object in his hand Ben felt the air leave his lungs as the familiar weight rested in his palm.

He knew what it was without having to look, but he did it anyway. He stood there for several long seconds, staring at the golden ring glistening in the curve of his hand. The ring he'd given to Mal months ago. And everything in him rejected the sight of it now.

"I'm going after her."

"What!" Evie's brows rose in surprise. "Ben – no. It's too dangerous. You can't."

"I'm not leaving her over there." He paced away from her in agitation. "It's my fault she's gone. I need to go after her. I have to apologize."

"You don't even know where to start looking."

Ben clutched the ring in his fist tight. "I'll find her." There was a long silence behind him as he began planning in his mind.

"I'll go with you." Evie's voice was quiet in the hushed room, but it made Ben turn around in surprise all the same. "She's my friend." Evie gave him a small but encouraging smile. "And we'll take the boys too." She cringed. "You and your parents aren't exactly popular over there right now what with this possibility of shutting the school system down and locking everyone behind the barrier for good."

"Nothing's been decided," Ben rushed to assure her. "I won't let it happen, Evie. I swear to you."

Evie gave him a weary smile in return, her dark eyes filled with a melancholic hope that made something twist in Ben's stomach. "I'll hold you to that." Her smile slipped and she stared at him in earnest. "I don't want to be stuck over there again, Ben."

"You won't be." Ben put all the authority and assurance he could into his voice and something about it must have resonated in Evie because her shoulder's relaxed just the littlest bit.

"Okay." She let out a quiet breath of relief. Her eyes narrowed a fraction as she studied him intently. "But I won't let you go anywhere near the Other Side if you're going to dress like that." Ben pulled at his necktie with a nervous gesture. "Come on, we have a little work to do before we collect the boys." There was a gleam in her eyes that set Ben a little on edge. "I have the perfect thing in mind."