I got inspired and stayed up all night writing so here are two chapters this time.

Mal's Perspective

At Pots' Tea & Coffee

Mal wasn't too surprised when she saw a royal limousine outside the coffee shop until she saw the blue and gold flag. They weren't an uncommon sight considering how many royal students, royal parents, and emissaries from other kingdoms were in the capital city at all times. But the indigo and gold colors of the flag were reserved for Ben's family. It would be unlikely that it was Belle or Beast since they'd been taking trips around all of the kingdoms of Auradon ever since Ben became king. But Ben had told Mal he'd be busy today. Her surprise only grew when she entered the coffee shop and saw Ben laughing with Amelia Miller.

Mal approached their table with a smile on her face. When they both turned to her, she asked, "Hi, what are you two up to?"

"We're studying," Ben said. When Mal raised an eyebrow, he looked down at the table and saw there weren't any books on it. He looked at Millie and chuckled before he said, "I guess we started talking and got sidetracked."

"Oh my goodness, I didn't even notice," Millie said. She reached for her bag in order to pull out her notebooks and index cards. "It looks like our king is a bad influence on me, I don't usually lose track of time."

"Oh, so now it's my fault?" Ben asked playfully.

"Well, I seem to remember this whole conversation being sparked by you complimenting my dress, which led to me talking about politics. So, technically, it is, indeed, your fault."

"Fine, I'll take the blame." Ben joked. He was beaming. "I always forget that your mind always goes straight to politics. I could ask you what your favorite type of coffee is and you'd probably go on about the tax laws on the beans."

"Possibly. I can't help the fact that I'm passionate about ruling-"

"Well, I'm gonna jet. You two seem pretty busy and I feel like I'm interrupting."

"Sorry," Millie said with a laugh. "I suppose we did the whole lost-track-of-everything-talking thing again. I feel so horrible about it, you must've felt like we forgot you even existed. So sorry."

Old Mal would've made her eyes turn green and claimed she knew a spell that could make the whole world forget she existed. But New Mal took a deep breath and smiled as she said, "No worries."

"Are you sure that you don't want to sit with us for a while?" Ben asked.

"Positive," Mal replied. (AN: Imagine her say that like she was saying, "Winterfell is yours, your grace")

"Well, we haven't seen each other in a while. Do you want to take a walk in the gardens tonight?"

"No. I'll be busy," Mal said before walking away.

"That was odd," Millie remarked.

"I think I should go after her," Ben said, picking up his bag and beginning to rise from his chair. "Can we reschedu-"

Ben was stopped when Millie placed her hand on his and looked in his eyes. "Ben. I don't think that would be wise," she said. "I fear I might be overstepping, but I think you should give her some space. You probably know her better than me, but, as another girl, I think it's best to give her some time to cool off before you talk to her."

"Um..." Ben said, looking hesitant about staying.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have said anything, it's your decision."

"No, I think you're right. I should wait a little while." Ben said as he sat back down. "Let's continue the lesson."

"Of course," Millie said.

"Thank you, Millie. Not just for your advice now, but all your help in the past as well. You're a great friend." When he'd said "friend," he could've sworn he saw-just for a fraction of a second-a frown on her face. But it was gone so quickly he was sure he'd imagined it.

"Thank you so much, Your H-Ben, it's a pleasure to hear such kind words from you. I must admit that it's been quite easy, considering what a joy it is to be in your company."

"You know...I don't know why, but I just have the feeling that I can trust you. I've noticed that since I met you."

"I'm so glad that you've realized that you can put your complete faith in me, Ben," "Millie" said with a wide smile.

Mal's Perspective

That Night at Auradon Prep

Mal's ears were ringing. She wasn't just mad, she was disappointed and frustrated. A sensation like electricity running through her veins was getting stronger and stronger. That was why she was on her way to the school's Royal Wellness Center. She would go to the spa, the lazy river, the sauna, anywhere that would calm her down before she accidentally lost control and did...something bad. She felt someone grab her arm and her eyes shone green as she swung her head around to look at them. It was Mason.

"Hey," he said, greeting her with a smile. "Oh," he added when he saw her eyes.

"Sorry, I just-" She started, turning her head away and closing her eyes. She took a deep breath and her eyes stopped glowing.

"No need to explain," Mason said, a look of understanding on his face. "Come with me."

Mal looked to hesitate for a second before she remembered Mason's secret. Sometimes she forgot about that night in the hallway. She nodded and followed him.

Carver's Perspective

Deep In the Forest Behind the School

"Please tell me you're not bringing me all the way out here to kill me." Mal joked. Carver noticed that the joke was half-hearted. He put a hand on Mal's arm to signal that it was time to stop.

"Oh no, you've figured me out," Carver said. "No, I brought you out here because no one ever comes this far into the forest. It's practically the only place in the capital where there's any real privacy."

"Which we need for?" Mal asked with a raised eyebrow. "Mason, I understand flirtatious is your default emotion, but I'm really not in a good mood right now."

"I know," Carver could tell her mood without her even saying. Not just because of her crossed arms and the look on her face, but also because whenever she thought about him, the thought traveled to his own mind. She was hurt, disappointed, and, underneath it all, scared of her magic. That was why he brought her here. It was another opportunity. "I also know that when I get mad, my...gift gets a little hard to control and things start flying across the room. So, I brought you out here to let it out before it gets uncontrollable."

"Let what out?" Mal asked.

"Your anger. Scream at the top of your lungs, use a spell, hit something-preferably not me. Let out your anger before it lets itself out with your magic."

"I'm not sure...I just..." I'm nervous, he heard her finish in her mind.

"I can go first if you're nervous," Carver said. He let out a loud scream. Then he screamed again even louder.

"You look like a maniac," Mal said with a laugh. A genuine one this time.

"Maybe," Carver replied with a shrug, "but I'm the calmest maniac you've ever seen."

Mal laughed again before deciding to give it a try. She screamed at the top of her lungs for twenty seconds straight. A green bolt of lightning flew from her hand straight into a tree, taking a large chunk of its bark and leaving the surrounding area charred. When she noticed what she'd done, Mal gasped and took a step back.

"Don't worry," Carver said. He waved a hand and said, "Negating what was done is something I can manage, make it as it was and undo this damage," causing the tree to return to the way it was before. "Do what you have to, I've got your back." He said with a reassuring smile.

Mal nodded and screamed again even louder. Another blast of lightning flew from her hands, but Carver undid all the damage they caused. Then he closed his eyes for a second to conceal how they glowed gold. She'd realized he was right. It felt like her screams were letting out all the frustration she'd been keeping bottled up for the past year. She screamed again, unaware of the wave of electricity that split an entire row of trees in half before Carver restored their condition. He decided to take another peek in her mind to see how much longer this would last since he was starting to feel lightheaded from all the spellcasting. His eyes glowed gold again. Now her voice felt raw, but her mind was a little clearer. He turned around for a second so she couldn't see his eyes glow even brighter as he focused. Her sensations became his and it was like he was a passenger in her body. Anger wasn't at the forefront of her mind anymore, and the feeling of electric power was no longer running through her veins.

"Are you feeling better now?" Carver asked her when he jumped back out of her mind, turning around.

"Yeah." She said, her voice already a little raspy. "A lot better."

"See? I'm not a maniac."

"That's debatable."

His laughter was genuine. He found that he was acting a lot less around her recently. "Possibly."

"Thank you, Mason. I needed this. To come out here and just scream."

"Well, this is the best place to go if you need privacy, and"-he didn't hide it when he made his eyes glow this time-"when you're...gifted, that can be a lot of the time. If you ever want to, you can come out here to do some, as you might call it, maniacal screaming."

"How gracious. Do you offer every girl you meet an invitation to go screaming in the middle of the woods?"

"You're a girl?" Carver asked, widening his eyes. He smirked as he added, "I hadn't noticed."

"You sure you don't wanna take that back?" Mal asked with a wicked grin. "I was literally shooting lightning out of my hands less than a minute ago."

"Whoa, no need to zap anyone," he said, raising his hands. "I'm only joking. And, no, nobody else has ever been here as far as I know. But maybe I should bring a girl here on a date. Hmm. You're a girl." He said with a smile. When he didn't see a reaction his smile faded. "I'm only joking, you know. This is usually the part where you glare at me and then I tell another joke and you try not to laugh."

"Well, maybe it's time for a change. What if I say yes?"

"To?"

"A date. As friends, of course."

"Seriously? As friends? Is that even still a date?"

"Well, why not?" She shrugged.

"Uh. Sure, then. How's Tiana's Place, Friday?"

"Sounds good."

"When should I pick you up?"

"I'm pretty sure I can get there on my own."

"That would take a while, especially without magic."

"What do you mean? Are we going to the cafe at the school, the diner, or the one farther into town?"

Mason just smiled enigmatically and said, "Just be ready around 7. It's a surprise."