A few hours later, past the dark of the night and into the earlier hours of the morning, Mal cautiously snuck out of her dorm room—careful to not wake Evie from her slumber—and slipped into the dark corridors of the hallway. With it being just a few minutes passed four in the morning, Mal believed that was the perfect opportunity to explore without getting caught. If she were to be caught, Sora thought it would be funny since she would be in her lilac nightgown dress. Mal didn't really care since there had been one certain place she wanted to see since Sora had mentioned it.
It should be right by the entrance, Sora insisted while Mal took careful and quiet steps, so she didn't disturb anyone's slumber. I'm still surprised they let the boys sleep in the West Wing. When I came to his castle, Beast forbid access to that side of the castle to protect his rose.
Which didn't really work since Xaldin still managed to take it, Mal reminded pointedly. Are you sure they wouldn't have changed that room into something different like they did with everything else?
Nah, Sora denied optimistically. Beast and Belle are too sentimental to change anything in that room. A giant heartless had attacked us in that room during my first visit. During my second visit, which may have been a couple weeks later in their time, Lumiere mentioned to me that Beast had no plans to repair the damage, because it would be a reminder that he shouldn't give up on becoming human again.
So the room is probably off limits to students due to it being a safety hazard, Mal deduced as she finally made it to the main foyer, specifically where the two staircases to the separate wings meet. Do you think Ben would have told us if we asked?
Probably not, Sora denied matter-of-factly. Like you said, it's off limits to students. That's why you're going to sneak in. The entrance should be on this wall, but I don't see it. Do you see anything?
There's nothing to see. Mal claimed as she ran her hand against the bare wall. It's just a—
Mal stopped herself once she felt an unusual groove in the wall. It was almost as though someone that tried to fill the gap, but couldn't do it all the way. As she pulled up that side, it easily pulled open to reveal a worn-out door, one that didn't look like any others they have seen in the school.
A fake wall? Mal deduced. So they were trying to hide it from the students. Why?
Only one way to find out. Let's look inside!
At the request, the teenage fairy cautiously opened the ancient door and slipped through the cracks, mindful to close it behind her so she wouldn't get caught. Once she had entered the room, Mal couldn't help the gasped that escaped her.
Whoa . . . Sora said as took in the scenery with Mal. This room hasn't changed, but now it is so. . . destroyed.
That had to be the best way to summarize the damage in the room. The entire flooring had cracks everywhere with some parts of the floor being either higher or lower than the rest. There had been two balconies across the room from each other that was either completely rubbish now, or half collapsed with only a portion of it remaining on the wall. The giant chandelier that used to hang from the ceiling had evidently crashed in the middle of the room, creating a massive crater in the floor.
"This used to be the ballroom?" Mal interrogated incredulously, shaking her head in disbelief. "How? There's no way they could have danced in here."
There must have been another fight in here, Sora deduced, clearly in denial. This wasn't how it looked when we had left after defeating Xaldin. Here, let me show.
As soon as he finished speaking, a strange blue light emitted itself out of Mal's chest and flew in front of her. She couldn't believe her sight when that blue light suddenly transformed into a person; more specifically one with black and red plaid clothing and brown spiky hair who had a glow about him.
Over here is where the Heartless chased Belle, until she locked herself out on the terrace.
Mal could hear Sora speaking in her head, but she could see the person gesturing to the area as Sora spoke about it. Mal tuned Sora's voice out as the person continued pointing to anywhere and everywhere in the room.
"Sora," Mal addressed to get his attention, "I think . . . I can see you."
Sora chuckled in her head just as the teenager in front of her shook like he was laughing, but no noise came from the stranger. Very funny, Sora teased. You're just seeing the Heartless battle that happened in here. You can't actually see me.
"I know what you looked like during your second adventure," Mal insisted as she cautiously stepped forward. "Your hair was at its spikiest and your clothing consisted of blue, red, yellow, and black. Right in front of me, I see a teenager with semi-spiky hair, wearing black and red plaid clothing, and shoes so big they could be mistaken for clown feet. Are you really going to stand with your back to me and tell me you are not you?"
The stranger seemed to have tensed at the explanation just as Sora grew quiet. How can you be so sure that I'm in front of you? I don't feel anything.
"Try to turn around," Mal coaxed as she took just one more forward, so she was within arm's length of him. "We need to see if what I see is real. Please, turn around."
The person appeared to have taken a deep breath before he finally turned around. When he was finally face to face with Mal, both gasped.
Whoa! Sora exclaimed, his voice finally sounding like it was coming from his body. I can see you too! He glanced down at himself, watching as he moved his hand to see if everything was real. This is so cool! I can see myself again! But how? We didn't separate my heart from yours.
Sora gazed up at an astonished Mal, and noticed something peculiar about her. Oh! That's why! Sora proclaimed. Your eyes are different colors. One eye is your normal green color while the other is my blue color.
"Why do think I can see you now?" Mal wondered curiously. "Is it because we're in Auradon now?"
The barrier around the Isle may have prevented this from happening, Sora speculated, happily spinning around since he knew he could run about freely for the time being. On the Isle, my magic—or our magic—was limited. Here, we can use our magic to see each other whenever we want.
"If I don't get caught," Mal reminded sternly. "Now that I can see you, it's going to be harder for me not to zone out more than I usually do. My friends are going to be wondering why my eyes changes a different way now. It's going to be tough—"
"What's going to be tough?"
Eyes going wide in surprised, Mal twirled herself around to see Ben—already fully dressed for the day—approaching her, expertly maneuvering himself around the rubble. "Ben," Mal greeted in shock. "It's not what it looks like."
"It looks like you found the ballroom," Ben deduced, now standing safely just a few feet from her. "I'm surprised you're up this early. Could you not sleep?"
"I couldn't go back to sleep," Mal expertly fibbed. "I decided to take an early morning stroll instead. I'm not breaking any rules, am I?"
"Not technically," Ben claimed with a teasing smile. "Curfew was at nine at night, so you're fine since it's only four in the morning. However, this room is off-limits to students, even if they don't know it exists."
"Then how come you're in here?" Mal countered smugly. "Are you breaking the rules?"
Chuckling softly at her attitude, Ben casually explained, "I go on patrol on some mornings to make sure there aren't any more Heartless."
What? Sora interrogated as his blue shimmering body stood next to Mal. What does he mean by 'any more Heartless'? I thought the only Heartless left are on the Isle.
Waiting a moment or so to see if Ben could hear the questions asked by Sora, Mal deemed that he couldn't. Maybe, even with the new development, it was still only she that could see and hear Sora. Still, she asked the prince those questions since she was curious too.
"Not many know this, so please try to keep this a secret," Ben requested, before sighing in reluctance. "For over ten years, there have been Heartless sightings inside Auradon, specifically in this school, probably because it used to be a castle. Dad usually goes on patrol in the early mornings or at night when the students are asleep, which is why an early curfew is enforced. His eye-sight hasn't been the best since his fight with Gaston and his Heartless companions in this very room, and has grown worse over the years. That's one of the reasons why I volunteer to go on patrol for him, and it keeps him from going 'Beast' so often."
"'Going Beast'?" Mal repeated curiously. "He can turn from 'Beast' to human whenever he pleases? Did this happen after the curse was removed from him?"
"He asked Fairy Godmother to spell him so he could do so," Ben answered with a careless shrug. "I've only seen him as 'the Beast' a couple times when I was a kid. I thought it was amazing that he could transform in such a way, but then Mom made sure I wasn't around when he was 'the Beast' so I wouldn't be scared. I never was scared because . . ."
". . . you wished you could do the same?" Mal assumed softly, crossing her arms to keep herself warm as the room started to become cold. "That's understandable. My dad used to tell me stories about how he could travel wherever he wanted in his world with just a puff of smoke. I've always wanted to do the same thing because I thought it would be so cool."
"That was something I needed to speak to you about," Ben informed politely. "There are only a select few people in Auradon that know Hades is your father, because we didn't want you to be judged too harshly for being the daughter of both Maleficent and Hades. Those who know are the Royal Family—meaning me and my parents—and Fairy Godmother. My father had been the one to suggest, but if—"
"I don't care if people know," Mal insisted as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I wouldn't be much of a 'daddy's girl' if I kept Dad a secret."
Ben chuckled at the statement, until he noticed the fairy beginning to shiver. "Are you cold?" he wondered as he began removing his sports letterman jacket. "Here."
"Oh, no." Mal stubbornly shook her head while the prince proceeded to wrap his jacket around her frail shoulders. "You don't need to—"
"What's this?" Ben wondered, noticing what looked like a claw scar on the back of Mal's neck. "How did you . . . ?"
"I was stupid," Mal bluntly admitted so she could end the topic as soon as possible. "I snuck out of the house at night when I was about six and ran into some Heartless. A Neoshadow had grabbed me by my waist-length hair and dragged me through the Isle. Professor Yen Sid saved me, and I've kept my hair short ever since."
He's a Master, Sora reminded for the umpteenth time. How many times do I have to tell you that?
Choosing to ignore the repetitive information once more, Mal decided to change the subject by insisting, "You don't need to let me use your jacket. I'm sure your—Audrey, will get upset and I don't want to make her mad."
You so like him, Sora teased, but now Mal could see the wide goofy grin on his face. You can't even say that he has a girlfriend! And who cares if she gets jealous? You didn't do anything.
"It doesn't matter if Audrey gets jealous," Ben claimed with another careless shrug. "I broke up with her last night."
What a plot twist!
Trying to keep herself from rolling her eyes or making a nasty retort to Sora—who somehow chose then to disappear back into the fairy—Mal commented, "I'm surprised. She seemed really into you."
"But I'm not into her," Ben abruptly insisted. "Actually, we only became a 'couple' because she told everyone that we were together when it was first announced that my family started planning for my coronation. I just went along with it for a while, but I told myself I would end our 'relationship' before my coronation so she couldn't go around telling everyone that she will soon be 'Queen of Auradon'."
"You don't want her to be queen?"
"That and she only wanted to be with me so she could eventually become queen," Ben claimed. "I don't want to be with someone that uses me or befriends me because of my title."
"I can understand that," Mal insisted, not realizing that she was putting on the jacket properly. "Even though my father is King of the Underworld, nobody seems to realize that I am technically 'Princess of the Underworld'. If it had been mentioned on the Isle, everyone would have tried to befriend me to get on my father's good side, even though they already knew his title. But I don't have a crown, so to them I'm not a princess."
"But a crown doesn't make you a prince, princess, king, or queen," Ben argued. "It's how you treat the people around you that you will eventually lead."
"Not on the Isle," Mal retorted bitterly. "Evie and her mother have crowns, so they are royalty. The Isle citizens only consider my father to be a king because they are afraid of him. Me? I have no crown, so I'm not a princess."
"I'm going to change that," Ben promised. Checking the time of his phone, he asserted, "I have to finish checking the rest of the castle. You have my permission to stay here as long as you like, but try to sneak out before any other students wake up. My parents don't want anyone knowing about this place, mainly because this is where the Heartless most usually gather."
Mal nodded absentmindedly, but as the prince began to walk toward the entrance, the fairy realized something. "Wait!" she shouted, causing Ben to turn around. "You forgot your jacket!"
"Keep it for now." Ben smirked as he complimented, "It looks better on you with your beauty than it ever did on me."
Unable to hide the blush growing on her cheeks, Mal turned around to avoid the prince, who chuckled at her reaction, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he headed back toward the entrance so he could finish his patrol.
Well! Sora exclaimed happily. Looks like I won't have to meddle much to get you two together.