Hello Lovies! Welcome back to another chapter of Time for Changes! I am assuming that you guys will be excited to read this one. Two worlds is next! SO... with that being said... I have chapter 10 done, but chapter 9 is not even started. I do not know if I am going to post just chapter 9 or if I will post both 9 and 10... I kind of want to, but then I kind of want to wait... anyway! I'll be working on two worlds for the next couple of weeks or days, depending on how much I can write! But anyway please let me know what you think!
ENJOY!
Mal was walking through Auradon castle, in search of her boyfriend. She had not seen him in two weeks and she found it weird. Usually, either of them tried to come to Auradon, or Ben would go to the Isle, but neither had the time. Reasonably, they were both very busy as things on the Isle were starting to get finished. Mal had a free day, while Evie wanted to clean the entire castle, so she thought it would be nice to surprise Ben. She walked up to his office and pressed her ear to the door, and heard him mumbling to himself, but didn't know what he was saying. She quietly opened the door and saw him sitting at his desk and his eyes were glued to his computer. She cleared her throat, but he didn't hear her, making her roll her eyes before she slammed the door making him jump in fright.
"Hello," she said with a cheeky smile. "It's very nice to see you."
He sighed in relief, seeing it was his girlfriend, but froze and shut his laptop quickly, before she could see what was on it.
"Hey, babe," he said as he moved his laptop to the side of his desk. "What's up?"
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, thinking he was acting weird, but didn't want to pay much attention to it.
"I just thought it would be nice to see you," she said as she walked over and jumped to sit on his desk. "You know, since I have not seen you for almost 2 weeks."
"I know," he said as he turned in his chair and rubbed her leg. "We have both been very busy."
"Yeah," she said as she leaned back and kicked her legs back and forth. "I mean, the Isle is almost done, so we will have some free time," she said. "But you will still have your kingy duties, but I bet the construction of the Isle is killer stress on you."
"Believe it or not," he said as he pulled her arm and brought her into his lap. "It's not bad. I think the kingy stress is more killer than the Isle."
"Really?" She asked as she looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah," he said as he nodded his head. "Being king of Auradon is different from helping with a majority of the Isle. First, everyone is coming to me for their kingdom problems, whereas helping with the Isle, I am just the income source if it is needed," he explained. "I send help to where it is needed, but you and your friends are the ones running the show."
"Exactly, how much have you spent on the Isle?" She asked as she kicked one of her legs up.
"Not much actually," he said as he shook his head. "Most things I was going to pay for were voluntarily given to the Isle. Sure, I had to pay to get the cellphone towers up fast, but other than that, not much."
Mal nodded her head. She didn't want Ben to prioritize the Isle over his kingdom. Sure, it was going to be, officially, a part of Auradon when the barrier was down, but he needed to take care of his kingdom.
"What were you working on?" She asked, changing the subject.
His eyes widened, not knowing what to say, but thought of something quick.
"Well, seeing as your birthday is in about 2 months, I thought it would be a good idea to get a head start on your birthday present," he said, making Mal groan.
"You do not have to get me abating for my birthday," she said as she threw her head back. "Can we just pretend that it is just any other day?"
"Absolutely not, Mallory," he said as he stood up from his chair, holding Mal in a bridal hold and making her shriek. "Your birthday is something to celebrate."
"How?" She asked.
"Well," he started as he put her on her feet and grabbed her by her waist. "It is the celebration of the day you came into this world, therefore blessing all of us with your beautiful and amazing presence."
Mal laughed and threw her head back. She knew Ben was cheesy, but she didn't think that he would be this cheesy. But, it also made Ben who he was. He was the child of Beauty and the Beast, a product of true love.
"Why are you laughing?" He asked.
"Because you are so cheesy," Mal said as she looked up at him and placed her hands on his chest. "But it is one of the reasons I love you so much."
He smiled down at her before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Mal was the perfect girl for him. Someone he could tell anything too, and someone he could not wait to spend the rest of his life with.
About an hour later, Ben and Mal decided to move their surprise date to the Moors. No one had come in and disturbed them yet, but they knew that it would happen sooner or later. They walked into the kitchen and Mrs. Potts helped them pack a small picnic, before they walked into the garage and over to Ben's bike.
"Do you want me to take my bike and then I can go back to the Isle from the Moors?" Mal asked as Ben handed her helmet to her.
"If you want to," he said. "I don't mind if you want to stay."
"Of course you don't," she said with a laugh, before she threw her leg over the back of Ben's bike and wrapped her arms around his waist.
They rode all the way to the Moors, and Mal hopped off the back of Ben's bike like she had not been to the Moors in 2 years. Ben caught up with her just as Balthazar nodded his head and moved out of the way to let them in. They walked to the clearing where they had their first kiss and enjoyed the time that they had to steal together. Mal started to graze her fingers along the grass and her fingertips started to glow gold, making Ben look at her with wide eyes.
"Since coming here, my powers have grown so much," she started to explain. "I don't know how to explain the feeling, but it feels good."
"Like something had been missing?" He asked.
Mal ponderedbthe statement for a moment, not knowing if it was that feeling, but had to agree that she felt more like who she was supposed to be when she was in the Moors and in Auradon.
"I guess," she said with a small laugh as she moved her hands up and made wind blow through the long grass. "Maybe it's because I feel a stronger connection to my mom when I am here."
"Well, this was her home," he said as he took her hand and ran his knuckles across the back of her hand. "It would only be just for you to feel her here."
"Yeah," Mal said as she laid back and put her head on Ben's lap. "I can heal plants. That's something I remember my mom telling me she used to be able to do."
"You can?" He asked as he leaned back against his palms.
"Yeah," she said as she smiled up at him. "I can heal plants that are dead or are in the process of healing," she explained. "But that sounds more like aiding them."
"Either way you put it, you are helping," he said as he started to stroke her hair.
"I guess," she said with a laugh. "I ran into FG when I was leaving the Isle," she said. "She said she and Uma were going to be finishing up the Isle of the Doomed soon."
"How are we planning to get people over there?" Ben asked. "I mean, we are creating another Isle. No one is going to go voluntary."
"Trust me," Mal said as she sat up and ran her hands through her hair. "I have been thinking the same thing."
It's true. Mal had been staying up late into the night wondering if the Isle of the Doomed was a good idea. Everyone was capable of good and bad, but would she and everyone else be better people if we banished people away?
"I have been going crazy, wondering if this was a good idea," she said as she turned to look at her boyfriend. "I mean, the barrier coming down is, but banishing people again," she said. "Everyone is capable of good and bad, but there is also a difference between bad and evil. I just don't want to be making a rash decision like this."
Ben rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. He understood how she felt, and in all honesty, he was feeling the same way.
"I just don't know anymore," she said. "I know we all thought it was a good idea when we were first making plans, but that was almost two years ago."
Ben sighed. "We want Auradon to thrive," he said, making her turn to look at him. "We want peace."
She nodded her head, agreeing with what he was saying.
"Everyone deserves their second chance, but there are people who do not want to take it," he said.
"That's the frustrating part," Mal exclaimed as she threw her hands out. "For example, why the hell does Freddy insist on being the worst waste of space?" She asked, making Ben lightly chuckle. "I don't mean to be funny, but he could be a good person if he chose to, but does he deserve a second chance?"
"That is something we don't know," he said as he sat up and faced his girlfriend. "I don't think the Isle should have been built in the first place, but if we don't find the true evil of our lands then we don't know what they would do if they were let loose in the kingdom," he said. "I don't know if FG could find a way to spell them to see if there is any hope…"
"That's it!' Mal exclaimed, cutting Ben off and making him jump a little. "The Moors!"
Ben looked at Mal with a confused look. He didn't know what she was talking about, but maybe she had a point to it.
"What about the Moors?"
"The Moors can detect true evil," she said. "People who have bad intentions."
"I see," he said as he nodded his head. "But how would they get to the Moors? They would try to run as soon as they came through the barrier."
"Not if we bring them in groups," she said. "I know it would be risky, but I bet I could get my uncles to help. I just… I know creating another Isle is being hypocritical, but… I… I want those who want to take their second chance to have it," she said as she locked eyes with Ben. "They deserve it."
Ben smiled at Mal. He understood where she was coming from with this. His father created the Isle. He created a prison for the people who wronged them, and here he was… creating a new Isle… but this was different, he thought. This Isle was being created for the truly evil, but for people who made mistakes.
"I know, and you are right," he said as he took her hands into his. "The people of the Isle deserve a second chance," he told her. "People who truly deserve them. So, we will do it your way," he said. "We will take groups of them over and see who is getting their second chance."
"But everyone is deserving of a second chance," she said.
"And they will," he said. "But those who want to take it will be coming to Auradon, and those who choose to go down the path of evil will be taken to the Isle," he said.
Mal tilted her head. The feeling in her stomach tightened and she was hoping that everything would turn out okay in the end.
"Would it make you feel better, if everyone was there when you guys made the announcement?" He asked.
She started to think about it, and maybe it would be better if Ben was there when they said it. She looked at him and nodded her head. Maybe Ben being there would make her nerves go away, she didn't know, but she was nervous to see how this was going to go.
"When again?" She asked.
"Well, the barrier is supposed to be coming down in 3 months," he told her. "So we could start taking groups to the Moors in a month, at the latest?"
"So we would need to make the announcement soon," she said before she started to twiddle her thumbs.
"Yeah, but hey," he said, putting two fingers under her chin to make her look at him. "We can get through this. People are not going to like it, but sacrifices have to be made for the greater good," he told her. "There are so many things that my dad said he did that he retreated, but if he didn't do those things, he wouldn't be where he is today."
"I know," she said. "My dad said the same thing. I just don't want people to hate us for this later in life."
"People don't hate my dad," he said with a shrug. "Everyone knew what he did was the best for the kingdom," he said, earning a weird look from his girlfriend. "Other than him being super wrong about it, and because I didn't get to meet you until we were 25," he joked as he pulled her close, making her laugh. "But things will be better. Everything is going to be fine in the end."
She nodded her head and leaned her head against his shoulder. She knew things were going to be rocky at the start, but she was hoping people would not think that she and everyone else was making a horrible decision.
Mal was pacing back and forth and the boys and her dad were running around the Isle, trying to gather everyone up. Today she, Ben, her dad, and Adam were going to be announcing the Isle of the Doomed, and to say Mal was stressed would be an understatement. Ben and the others just pulled to a stop and Belle ran over to Mal.
"Hello, sweetheart," she said as she consumed her son's girlfriend in a hug.
"Hi," Mal said as she squeezed Belle's frame.
"Oh, I can tell someone is nervous," she said with a small laugh.
"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Mal asked as she pulled away from Belle and booked at her with a look of sorry on her face.
"No, honey. You did not hurt me, but I could tell that you needed a strong hug today," the queen said.
She rubbed the sides of Mal's arms, hoping that it would make her feel a little more comfortable knowing that she had people behind her.
"Hey," Ben said.
He walked up to Mal and wrapped his arms around her waist, before he kissed the side of her head.
"Hey."
Everyone else walked over and Audrey pushed Ben out of the way, before she wrapped Mal in a hug.
"Hey, Mal!" Audrey said in excitement.
Mal laughed as she tried to keep her balance. She loved how close she and her friend were with everyone from Auradon, but she was shocked to see how close she and Audrey had gotten since they met.
"Hey, Audi," Mal said as she wrapped the princess in a hug.
"Where are Evie and Uma?"
"Evie is getting Dizzy, Celia, and the rest of the kids, and Uma went on the man hunt with everyone else," she said with a laugh.
"Of course she is," Jordan said, making Mal look up to see the genie.
"Jordan!" Mal yelled as she walked over to hug her. "Oh! It's so good to see you! It's been months!"
"I know," Jordan said, retiring the hug. "The things I have to do to help my dad," she said. "You would think after being alive for thousands of years, he would have things figured out."
A giant thud made everyone jump, just to see Hades staring behind them, looking tired and out of breath.
"The cattle are arriving," he said as he walked up to Mal and everyone else. "They should be all here in the next 10 to 15 minutes."
He pointed to the alleyways and they saw groups of people walking toward town square. Hadie, Uma, and Carlos were leading the groups, and more than Jay, Gil, and Harry were making sure no one was going to run. When everyone was gathered, Jay and Harry walked in with Zevon and Frollo tied up with rope.
"Guys," Hades said as he looked at Harry and Jay. "We said to gather everyone, not tie them up and drag them here."
"Frollo and his lover were putting up a fight," Jay said as he sat Frollo down on a crate.
"We aren't lovers and I told you that…" Frollo started, but was quickly cut off.
"I ordered it," Hades said as he raised his voice.
No matter how disrespectful and rude Frollo was to everyone on the Isle, he was afraid of Hades.
"There are things that need to be discussed and there are even more changes that are going to be happening with the Isle," he said as he turned to look at the crowd.
"What?" Zevon asked. "Is the barrier coming down?" He asked as a joke.
He scoffed a laugh, before Harry tightened his hold on him.
"Yes," Hades said, making the crowd grow dead silent. "The barrier is coming down. King Ben has agreed to it, and he is here with us to explain what is happening and when," he said as he took a step to the side and Ben walked forward.
"Hello," he said as he waved at the crowd, but no one made a sound. "Um… okay… so, what King Hades is true. The barrier will be coming down."
"Why?" Clayton asked.
"Because we deserve second chances," Hades said as he stood next to Ben. "Which King Ben and the rest of the Royal council is allowing us to have," he told the crowd. "I mean, the renovations to the Isle are a statement in itself, if I do say so myself."
"What Hades is saying is true," Ben said, agreeing with the god. "Everyone is going to be given a second chance to live in Auradon, or the Isle once the barrier is down," he stated as he paced the stage. "But, it is going to be up to all of you if you want to take that chance or not."
"What do you mean by that?" Ginevive asked as she stood in front of her dad.
"Gia…" Gaston said as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"No," Ben said as he shook his head and laughed. "That is a very valid question. "What I mean is that… we have created another Isle," he stated as he put two fingers in the collar of his shirt because he felt like he couldn't breathe. "There…"
Mal walked forward and loosened his tie just like she did when he was having trouble with it when they first met. She put a hand on his chest, letting know to breathe, before she turned to look at the crowd.
"It is called the Isle of the Doomed," she said as she stood on the edge of the stage. "It is for those who do not want a second chance. Those who want to be evil."
"How…"
"Everyone is capable of good and bad," she said, cutting off Frollo before he could go off on one of his tangents. "But it is up to you to want the change. Putting evil behind and just… living life to be happy."
"You can't keep evil out of Auradon," Frollo yelled.
"We can't keep bad out of Auradon," she corrected him. "But we can try to keep evil out."
"And how do you expect to do that?" Zevon asked with a cackle.
"We are going to be taking groups of 4 to 6 to the Moors," Mal stated as she paced back and forth across the edge of the stage. "The Moors have a barrier around it, detecting people with bad intent from entering, and there…"
"If you're there, so called, queen," Frollo said, cutting Mal off. "You can spell the barrier to keep out anyone you or your clan of demons don't like."
Mal had to admit that he had a point, not a realistic one, but one nonetheless.
"I did not enforce the barrier around the Moors or the qualifications it has to enter," she said as she looked down at him. "Be that as it may, I found out these rules on my first visit, and I have not heard of anyone being dismissed, but that may change."
"I don't trust you," Frollo said with a scoff.
Mal looked at him with a shocked expression, before she hopped off the stage and walked over to him. He tried to maintain his stature as best as he could with being tied up, but with her dad, Ben, and everyone else here, he knew he was outnumbered. She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, trying to intimidate him, and she could see that it was working.
"I don't have to prove anything to you," she said.
She could smell the dirt on his face and the stench of his breath, making her crinkle her nose. He was dirty and his hair was matted. It looked like he had not taken a shower in week, which would be stupid with all of the improvents that had happened, but she didn't put it past him to not use the new recourses, he was stubborn and very hard headed.
"But," she said chipperly. "If you would like, you could be one in the first group and you can pick who comes."
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, not sure what she was playing at.
"We can go right now," she told him with a smile. "I would not have time to cast any spells on the barrier before we get there," she said as she tilted her head to the side. "What do you say?"
Frollo scoffed in her face, before he smiled, showing his yellow teeth.
"Whatever works for you, your majesty," he said as he looked her up and down. "Maybe once I am free of this hell hole, you will finally see that I am more than just a man of god."
She huffed a laugh, before she met his eyes.
"There are some conditions before we leave," she said as she turned away from him, letting her hair whip him in the face. "One being you are going to me cuffed and those who are magical are going to be magically bound."
"You're putting us in shackles?" Zevon said as he tried to stand up.
"It is the only way to ensure the safety of others in Auradon and the Moors," Mal said as snapped her head to look at Zevon. "And those who the Moors do not let enter are going to be sent to the Isle of the Doomed when we arrive back," she said.
You could hear the gulp Zevon took after hearing that statement.
"Now, I am sorry for the interruption, King Ben," Mal said as she turned back to the stage. "Please proceed."
"Thank you," Ben said as he smiled down at his girlfriend.
He knew how nervous she was about this day, but she stood her ground and said how things were going to work, and he could not be more proud of her.
"There is only a small population of people who live here on the Isle, so if there are any who cannot cross into the Moors, there will be few," he said. "Listen," he said as he sighed. "We understand that creating another Isle is hypocritical, but most if not all of you deserve a chance to be free. This is a chance to become one United Kingdom, and to live in a land that is free and not binding magic."
Belle and Persephone started to cry, hearing Ben's speech. This was a momentous occasion and they were so happy that their kids were leading it.
"Now, going back to the new Isle," Ben said. "Uma has been aiding Fairy Godmother through the process and will be announcing how things are going to run on it," he said, before he held his hand out to Uma.
She hopped onto the stage and rubbed her hands together as she looked at the crowd.
"Alright," she said. "The new Isle is something we are hoping not to use, but we won't know until we find out if people are going to be going there," she continued. "The new Isle is a better version of this," she said as she held her hands out.
"How?" Maddie called. "It's called the Isle of the Doomed."
"The buildings are stable, there is running water, there are living plants, food barges will be sent once a week, and so much more," she said as she looked down at Maddie. "This will be a new and improved Isle of the Lost, but with an even stronger barrier."
Everyone looked at Uma with worried looks, no one wanted to be sent to a new Isle when they had just heard that the barrier was going to come down.
"I am going to be the one mainly in charge of the Isle from this day forward…"
"They the hell are you…"
"Because I am the one who made the changes to it," Uma snapped as she looked at Frollo. "As I was saying, the people of the Isle of the Doomed will not be neglected. They will have medical attention when needed, food resources, and plenty of other resources."
"You said that already!" Zevon yelled.
Uma hopped off the stage and walked over to him. As she got closer she pulled her fist back and punched him in the face. His head flung back and he groaned in pain. Harry laughed as he kept Zevon on his feet.
"You should have kept your mouth shut, lad," Harry said as Zevon continued to groan. "Could have saved you a broken nose."
Uma turned back to the stage and held her hand out for Mal to finish.
"Okay, Freddy boy," Mal said as she hopped down from the stage and walked into the middle of the crowd. "Pick amunks the group."
Frollo tried to stand, but Jay kept him sat on his but.
"How many?" He asked with a gruff.
"Um…" she said, before she turned to look at Ben who had 5 fingers held up. "5."
"Zevon, Ginny, Maddie, Anthony, and myself," he said with a smirk on his face.
Mal rolled her eyes. He had picked the people of the Isle that she did not like the most, but it didn't bother her that much because if some or all of them were able to cross over into the Moors, it would only prove her to be right.
"Fine," she said as she smiled at him. "Let's go."
The ride to the Moors was quiet. Ben, Mal, Jay, Gil, Harry, FG, and Hadie all left the Isle with the first group, slightly nervous for the outcome that was to come. Freddy, Zevon, Maddie, Ginny, and Anthony all were dead quiet, not knowing what was going to happen, but Zevon and Freddy were disgusted to see Mal and Ben holding hands. Ben was rubbing the back of her hand as they made small talk and the sight made Freddy's blood boil.
"Can you do that in private?" He asked as he turned to glare at the couple. "It's disgusting and immoral."
"What?" Mal asked. "Ben and I holding hands?"
"Yes," he stated. "It's disgusting."
"Oh, then you better close your eyes," she said with a smirk.
She turned in her seat, grabbed the sides of Ben's face, and crushed her lips to his. Ben smiled into the kiss, before he grabbed Mal's hips and moved her into his lap, deepening the kiss. Zevon made a noise of disgust, making both Ben and Mal laugh and break apart.
"I hate to say this," Hadie said with a laugh, making Ben and Mal turn to look at him. "But I agree with Frollo. That is gross."
Ben and Mal laughed as Mal hugged Ben's head.
"Shut up, Hadie," Ben said, making everyone, except for the new group, laugh.
The limo pulled to a stop and everyone got out of the limo, with Ben, Jay, Harry, Gil, and Hadie holding onto the 5 others. Mal and FG lead everyone through the forest, and stopped when they came to the barrier.
"Well…"
Frollo started but stopped when Balthazar started to move and stood tall above everyone else.
"Hello, Balthazar!" Mal said as she waved at the tree giant. "How are you?"
He slowly gave her a nod, making her smile and laugh.
"I don't know if you remember me telling you that I was going to be bringing some guests to see if they are able to cross into the Moors," she said loudly.
He nodded his head and moved out of the way so that Mal had the room to speak.
"Now, this is simple," she said as she looked at the group. "All you have to do is walk past me," she told them as she stepped to the side and held her hand out toward the forest.
"There is nothing there," Ginny said as she craned her neck up.
Mal sighed, before she turned around and stepped through the Moors barrier, creating a glow as she walked through.
"See," she said as she held her hand out in front of her. "Easy peasy."
"You could have done something to yourself that made it not affect you," Frollo said, making Mal sigh again.
"Ben," she called.
Ben kicked Freddy in the back of the knee, making him fall to his stomach so he couldn't run away. He walked forward and through the barrier to stand next to his girlfriend.
"Alright," Mal said as Ben walked back through the barrier to pick Frollo up. "Who wants to go first?"
No one made a move until Frollo kicked Anthony, almost making him and Hadie fall.
"Fuck. Fine. I'll go," he said.
Anthony was nervous. He didn't know what was going to happen if he wasn't able to go through the barrier. He knew his mom, cousin, and grandma would make it through, but he did bad things. Things he wished he had never done now.
"Ready?" Hadie asked his girlfriend's cousin.
Anthony nodded his head, before Hadie started to walk him toward the barrier. If Hadie was honest with himself, he would be a little upset if Anthony didn't go through. He was Dizzy's cousin and even though he was an ass, he loved Dizzy and his family.
As they grew closer to Mal, Anthony started to hold his breath. He didn't know what kind of impact was coming, but he closed his eyes and waited. Hadie pulled him to a stop, but Anthony kept his eyes tightly closed, ready to be taken to the Isle of the Doomed.
"Congratulations, Anthony," he heard Mal say.
He opened his eyes and saw that Mal was standing one foot away from him and he sighed in relief.
"Welcome to my kingdom," she said as she held her hands out.
He smiled brightly at her, before Hadie untied him. He stretched his arms up and then bowed to Mal, making her laugh.
"Thank you," he said as he looked up at her. "Thank you for giving me my second chance."
She helped him up and patted him on the shoulder, happy with how this was going to change his life.
"Alright," she said. "Who's next?"
Ginny took a step forward and began to strut toward the barrier. When she was getting closer and closer to Mal, she flew back once she hit the barrier. She landed in Gil, and was shocked when she got up.
"What?" She asked.
She managed to get up with her hands behind her back, and looked at the barrier as it glistened above her head.
"Why won't it let me through?!" She exclaimed.
She marched forward again, but when she came close to the barrier, trees started to sprout in front of her, making her look at them with an astonished expression.
"I'm sorry, Ginny," FG said, making the raven haired girl turn to her. "The Moors barrier can detect the slightest bit of bad intentions."
She stared at the woman with wide eyes, before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell to the floor.
"Oh, dear," FG said as she started to walk toward her.
"Stop, FG!" Mal yelled as Gil and Hadie walked over to Ginny. "She's faking it."
FG took a step back, before Ginny's eyes shot open and she sat up and tried to reach for the dagger that was hidden in the waistband of her pants. Gil grabbed it before she could, and threw it toward Mal.
"Did you think that you were going to be able to do anything with that, when your hands are tied up?" Gil asked as he made her stand up.
"Worth a shot," she said with a huff.
Gil walked her back toward the limo, but she dug her heels into the dirt, telling him to stop.
"I want to see what is happening to the rest!" She yelled.
Gil shrugged and turned her back to ears the barrier, but far enough away so she wouldn't do anything stupid.
"Who's next?"
Maddie took a step forward, and Carlos held onto the robed binding her. She tried to blow some of her light purple hair out of the way, but it was hard because it was too frizzy.
"Keep going," Carlos said calmly.
Maddie didn't say anything, before she bumped into someone and they moved the hair out of her eyes.
"Anthony?" She asked as she smiled.
He nodded his head, before he picked her up and spun her around in excitement.
"Congratulations, Maddie," Mal said as she walked up to Maddie and smiled. "Welcome to the Moors."
Mal untied Maddie's rope, letting them fall to the floor, but everyone jumped when they heard Ginny's blood curdling scream.
"What the fuck?!" She yelled.
Maddie turned to face Ginny and she saw that the woman's face was as red as a tomato.
"How the hell did you make it through?"
"I… I…." Maddie stuttered. "I don't know."
"Because even though Maddie is a flirt," Mal said as she stood in front of Maddie to look at Ginny. "She is a good person."
Maddie had never heard such kind words about her, and she was surprised they were coming from Mal.
"We may have never gotten along, she may have tried to flirt with my boyfriend, and we may have gotten into a fight here and there, but Maddie is a decent person," she said. "One who wants their chance under the sun."
"Maddie, I swear," Ginny said as she glared at Maddie. "If you chose this life you will regret it forever."
Maddie looked scared for a moment. She was torn. She didn't know what to do. Should she pick the life of freedom or a life where she would be with her best friend.
"The choice is yours, Maddie," Mal said as she turned to look at Maddie. "You don't have to take the chance you are given. You can go to the Isle if you want to be with Ginny."
Maddie stood there for a moment as she looked at the ground. She didn't want that life. She wanted to be free and to reconcile all of the people her grandmother did horrible things to.
"I'm sorry," she said as she looked up at Mal, making Ginny smile. "I don't want that life."
She took steps forward until she was a couple of feet in front of Ginny.
"I don't want to be trapped on some aisle for the rest of my life, when I could be free," she said. "I know you have been a friend to me for years, but I can't be selfless this time. I need to take my chance and make things right with the people my grandmother did wrong. I'm sorry, Ginny."
Ginny grew red in the face and tried to launch at Maddie, but Maddie punched her in the face, knocking her out cold. Gil took Ginny back toward the limo as Maddie turned back to Anthony and ran into his open arms, and she started to cry.
"Okay," Mal said. "Two left."
Zevon steps forward with pride. He walked until he bumped into the barrier and a bunch of rose bushes appeared in front of him.
"This is madness," he exclaimed.
Zevon didn't put up much of a fight. He turned around and sat on the floor, making Harry chuckle to himself.
"Okay, Freddy," Mal said. "You're up."
Frollo rolled his eyes and smiled at the fae god.
"Ready to eat your words?" He asked, before he took a step forward and a wall of vines and thorns shot up, preventing him from going into the Moors.
"What is this witchcraft?" He asked as he looked up at the vines. "This is preposterous."
He took a step back and the vined slowly lowered, revealing the sorrowful look on Mal's face.
"The Moors have decided," she said as she stepped through the barrier. "Freddy, you have too much bad in you."
"I am a man of god!" He exclaimed. "The Lord is by my side and…"
"Freddy!" Mal exclaimed. "I am sorry, but the choice has been made, and it was not by me," she told him. "You are the only person who had the chance to change and you didn't want to. You want to be evil and harm people. That is what we are trying to prevent," she said. "Like I said, there is always going to be bad in the world, but it is up to you if you want to be evil."
"You're a tramp," he said with a snarl. "Nothing but an unholy slut."
Ben tightened the ropes against Freddy's arms, making him groan in pain.
"Watch your mouth," Ben threatened.
"Or what?" Freddy asked as he pulled on the ropes, breaking out of Ben's hold. "What are any of you going to do?"
Anthony and Maddie stood in front of FG while Harry held onto Zevon. Jay and Ben stood in front of Mal as Frollo glared at each of them. He was red in the face and it looked like he was about to change at them, but his hands her still bound behind him.
"You all are making a big mistake!" He exclaimed as Jay and Ben grew closer to him. "I am the one who killed the man who attempted to murder you!" He yelled, before Jay punched him in the face, knocking him out cold.
Mal looked at Freddy's unconscious body and wondered what he was talking about. She never mentioned anyone trying to kill her, but she also didn't know if he was talking to her. No one else here had anyone try to kill them other than Ginny when she was 5, but she wondered how he had found out.
"Was he talking about Stefan?" Ben asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"I don't know," she said as she watched Jay drag Frollo back toward the limo. "But I don't really care. Let's get them back."
Frollo woke up, being dragged through a place he did not know. He tried to move his hands, but they were still tied together and now so were his ankles.
"What the hell is going on?" He asked.
"Calm down, Freddy boy," he heard Jay's voice say, making his crane his neck to see that it was Jay dragging him.
"Let me go you…"
"Ah ah," Jay said as he stopped and turned to look down at him. "Watch your tongue."
"Where the hell are we?" He asked.
"This is your new home," Jay said as he held his hands out. "The Isle of the Doomed. Though it should be called the Isle of dreams, because this is what we have been wanting for years."
Freddy looked around and saw the buildings. They were not in shambles. They were in good condition, and there was a lot of light compared to what the Isle has. A white barrier cascaded over their heads and Frollo looked at it with wide eyes.
"What is that?" He asked.
"That is the barrier," Jay said, before a purple one followed the white one. "And that is Mal's enforced barrier."
He rolled his eyes and heard a groan coming from behind him. He turned and saw Ginny holding her head as Hadie, Harry, and Gil were carrying their belongings. They set everyone down and Zevon walked over to Ginny and helped her to stand.
"Alright, guys," Hadie said as he clapped his hands together. "It's been real. It's been fun. But it has not been real fun. See ya later."
"That's it?" Zevon asked. "You're just going to leave us here?"
"Well, yeah," Gil said as he looked at the three with a confused look. "We're not going to fight with you guys."
"And before you guys try to find your daggers," Harry said, making them look at them with wide eyes. "You don't have them anymore," he told them, making their hands fly to their waistbands. "Lady Persephone checked the three of you before your transportation."
"Now, we will leave and, if there are any, others will be coming to join later," Jay said as he walked away from the group.
"You're not going to untie me?" Frollo asked as he held his hands up.
"Do you take me for a fool?" Jay asked. "Zevon is busy taking care of Ginny," he said as he pointed to Zevon who was carrying Ginny into one of the buildings. "I'm sure once she is fine, he will run down and untie you. Come on guys, let's get out of here."
Once at the barrier, Mal, FG, and Ben were standing on the other side.
"Okay, Mally," Hadie said as he walked close to it. "Let us out."
"I don't know," she said as she put a finger to her chin. "I kinda…"
"Mallory," she heard her dad say, making her turn to smile up at him. "Let your brother out."
"I was only joking," she said, before she raised her hands and let a hole in the barrier form.
"On to the next group?" Harry asked.
Mal looked up at Ben and smiled. "Nah," she said. "We can do the others later. It's been a long day. We should just enjoy what we have left."
"I like that idea," Ben said, before he kissed the side of Mal's head.
The group walked across the bridge and toward the Isle, after Mal closed the hole to the barrier. She and everyone were nervous for today, but things worked out in the end. This was going to be a journey for everyone, but when it was all said and done, the barrier was going to be coming down and everyone was going to be getting their happily ever after.
It was a week before the barrier was to come down and everyone had their chance to visit the Moors. The ones who were not able to cross were; Eddie Balthazar, Clay Clayton, Clayton, Rick Radcliffe, Governor Radcliffe, Yzla, Big Murph, Hermie Bing, Yi-Min, and Hans. Along with Fred Frollo, Zevon, and Ginny Gothel. Everyone was getting ready for the celebration and were excited for the future that was to come for them.
Ben and the rest of his friends had just got to the Isle when a couple of kids surrounded them, shouting about how excited they were to show them something.
"Woah," Ben said as he looked around at them. "One at a time. One at a time," he said with a laugh. "What's going on?"
"We need to show you something!" Red said as she took Ben's hand and started to drag him further into the Isle.
Ben looked back at his friends and saw that other kids were dragging them in the same direction that Red was pulling him toward. He could see how excited Red was and it made him happy to see what they wanted to show them. After walking for a couple of minutes, Ben looked up and saw Mal standing in front of a mural. She was wearing a pair of purple overalls with a long sleeved black shirt.
"Mal!" Red yelled, making the queen turn around to see her friends and boyfriend with her and the other kids. "We found Ben and the rest of your Auradon friends!"
"I see that," Mal said as she hopped down from the platform she was standing on and rushed over to Ben. "Hey."
"Hey," he said as he smiled down at her, but turned his attention back to the mural on the wall. "Wow."
He and the rest of his friends walked closer to the mural and looked at it in awe. It was a beautiful mural of the Isle and Auradon with a white stone bridge connecting them. It was so detailed that it looked like you could jump into the picture.
"Do you guys like it?" Mal asked as she hopped back onto the platform and looked down at her friends.
"It's beautiful, Mal," Audrey said as she walked up to the mural.
"Thanks. The kids helped me with it," she said, making them turn to look at the kids.
"You did?" Ben asked as he put Red on his shoulders.
"Yeah," she said as she hugged his head. "We have been working on it for a week!"
Ben walked back up next to Mal and kissed her cheek, making Red laugh.
"Are you staying the night at the castle again?" Ben asked as he took Red off his shoulders.
"Yeah!" Red said as she started to jump up and down. "Mally said I can stay in her room with you guys if it is okay with you!"
Ben looked at Mal and saw her smiling down at Red. As he got to know the Islemore, he found that Red was really close to Mal. There was a day when Ben had asked Mal about who Red's parents were, and Mal had told him that she was the daughter of the Queen of Hearts. She had died when Red was only 2 years old, and that was only 5 years ago. Mal had watched over Red since she was little, but Red lived with the Tremaines for the past 5 years. She had started staying at the castle only a couple of months ago, and only when Dizzy would stay with Evie for the night. She had also grown close to Ben over the past months, but who could not be close with such a cute little girl.
"I do not mind if you stay with us," Ben said as he smiled down at Red.
"Yay!" The 7 year old said as she started to bounce up and down, before she ran over to the group of kids.
"Sorry," Mal said as she wrapped her arms around Ben. "She asked me and I said if it was okay with you, because you were staying the night."
"I don't mind," he said as he wrapped an arm over her shoulder. "She just likes spending time with you."
"She does," Mal said with a laugh. "Now, let's go. I think Jay and Harry are cooking dinner tonight, and I want to see how bad they are going to mess up."
"You know that just means that you, Evie, and Jane are going to have to fix it right?" He asked as he laced his fingers with hers.
"Don't remind me," she said as she threw her head back and groaned. "Come on, Red!" Mal shouted, gaining the girl's attention. "We're all heading to the castle."
She waved goodbye to her friends before she ran over to Ben and Mal, and Ben picked her up in his arms. Together the big group walked back to the castle to enjoy the rest of their day together. Everything was coming along great, and they couldn't wait until next week.
"Ready?" Adam asked as he clasped Ben on the shoulder.
Ben looked up at his dad and took a deep breath. Today was a big day, not just for him, but for everyone in Auradon and on the Isle. He was nervous, and he didn't know why. Actually, he knew why, but he knew he shouldn't be.
"I'm as ready as I am going to be," he said as he nodded his head.
Adam turned his son to look at him, and he straightened his tie just like he used to do when he was younger. He was so happy with the man Ben turned out to be and he could not be more proud to have him as a son. He turned out to be more than he ever imagined and he was doing things that he never thought would ever happen.
"I am so proud of you," Adam said as he placed Ben's crown on his head. "You are… a bigger man than I could ever be, and I am proud to call you my son and my king," he said.
"Thank you, dad," Ben said as he tried to hold his tears back. "All I have ever wanted was to make you and mom proud and I got so much more than that," he said. "I have made friendships that will be long lasting, memories that will last a lifetime, and a love that will last forever."
"And we are so happy that you have found and made the life that you have always wanted," Belle said as she walked into the room. "What you and your friends have is special. No one can ever change that. You have been the best blessing in my world and now I am so glad to be seeing you create your life the way you envisioned it, and not how people want you to live it."
"Thank you, mom," he said as he kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly.
"Thank you, honey," she said as she squeezed him tightly. "Let's go. Today is a big day."
Ben laughed before he fixed his cuffs and took a breath. It was time to head toward the bridge, and he could not wait to celebrate.
Mal was standing on the other side of the barrier with her parents, brother, and friends. Evie had made them all special outfits for today and Mal loved the dress. It was a long a-line dress that had spray painted purple scales on them, green flames, and the shoulders looked like dragon wings. Everyone was waiting for Ben to start his speech, until his face appeared on a projection that was hitting the barrier.
"Hello, Auradon!" He said. "And I say Auradon, because today is a momentous occasion. Today is the day the Isle became a part of Auradon, officially," he said with a small laugh. "You know, I think this would be a little better if the barrier was not dividing us," he said as he held his hand out to FG.
Mal looked at the projection with a confused look. Ben was supposed to be making a long speech about second chances and all of that, but this was taking her by surprise.
FG held her wand up and it struck the barrier making it fizzle out and shine light on the Isle that had not seen light for about 30 years.
Everyone cheered and rushed across the bridge as the people of Auradon rushed toward the Isle. The celebration started and Ben was trying to find his purple haired girlfriend. She was jumping up and down with Audrey, Evie, Jane, Dizzy, and Red, when Ben pulled her hand, making her turn to him.
"Hey!" She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey!" He said as he smiled at her.
"I thought your speech was supposed to be longer than 30 seconds?" She questioned.
"It was, but I got excited," he told her. "Today is a big day."
"You have known about this day for about… two years," she told him, making him laugh. "Why were you so excited that you couldn't finish your speech?"
He huffed a laugh as their friends and family turned their attention to them. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and took a step back and held her hand in his.
"I was excited because…" he said as he went down on one knee and pulled out a ring from his pocket.
It was a paved white gold band with a 4 carat oval diamond in the center. He took Mal's hand again, making her look at him with wide eyes.
"I wanted to let you know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said.
Mal covered her mouth, trying to contain her tears. She loved Ben and she knew she wanted to spend forever with him, but she didn't expect this.
"You have brought something out in me that I never knew was inside of me," he told her. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don't want to go another minute without knowing that you'll spend the rest of your life with me," he said. Trying to hold back tears of his own. "Mallory Bertha Drakos, will you marry me?"
Mal couldn't get the words out. All she could do was drop to her knees and kiss Ben fiercely.
"Is that a yes?" He asked with a laugh as they broke apart.
"Yes!" She said loudly, making everyone around them cheer in excitement.
He took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger before bringing her in for another kiss. This was the beginning of something new and they could not wait until the next chapter of their story began.
Until next time my Lovie! xoxo GM
