I quickly stormed through the main hall and as I did this I heard Ben erupt at Lady Leah, however at the moment I wasn't listening to what he was saying, I was more focused on getting out of the castle. I felt as claustrophobic and I needed to feel the warm Auradon air on my skin. As I continued to walk outside I felt the Beast part of Ben roar which made me tense up and stand still for a few seconds before I walked out of the main doors of Beauty Castle.
I sighed as the sun cascaded over my skin but unfortunately for me it didn't help with how overwhelmed I was currently feeling. I hated everything that had just happened between me and Lady Leah, and I started to wonder where this was going to lead. She had just threatened my life, would so actually go that far? I then told myself that she would, she has just made the fact that me even breathing was a source of upset for her. So now I was going to have to be careful with everything I now ate and drank. I then wondered whether she only said this to try and worry me, I could see why she would want to do this. But surely killing me was going to be the line she wasn't about to cross? I guess that we will only be able to tell with time.
I stood next to Ben's limousine and placed both of my hands down the side of it in a bid to support me as I tried to contend with the waves of emotion that I was currently drowning in. I start to work on my breathing to try and calm myself down, but unfortunately it isn't working. I knew deep down there was only one thing that was going to calm myself down and that was Ben, but now due to this proposition currently hanging over our heads this wasn't possible. Lucifer I hated that woman! Why couldn't she just leave me and Ben alone! Since Ben broke up with Audrey she should have backed off, especially by this point! We were getting married for Lucifer sake! Sadly I was now led to believe that even when we were married there were going to be certain council members that still attempted to take my Beast away from me.
I then began to mentally kick myself, I really shouldn't have bitten and said what I had said to her - no matter what she threw at me. By acting the way I had just done I had gone down to her level, but she knew how to push every one of my buttons. It was now at the point with her when I couldn't just sit there and take what she had to throw at me and Ben, she was now impacting mine and Ben's relationship in hopes that it will tear us apart. Even though I knew that this was never going to happen, it made me even more determined to prove not just her but the rest of her so-called 'order' wrong!
"Mal!" I heard Ben call as I heard quick footsteps start to head towards me. "Mal!" he repeated as he ran up to me and stood on my right hand side.
"Yes?" I answered, not looking up at him.
"Are you ok?" I heard him ask, which made me slowly look up at him to see concern in his eyes.
"Do I look ok?" I asked darkly as I bawled my fists up against the car.
"Sorry" he quickly apologised. "Silly question" he noted as he pursed his lips together.
"Yes!" I snapped and I watched as his eyes widened in shock at this, which broke my resolve. I shouldn't be taking this out on Ben, this wasn't his fault. He was just like me, caught in this web of dismay. He needed my support, not me berating him. "Sorry!" I exclaimed. "I shouldn't be taking this out on you" I added.
"It's ok," he dismissed. "I understand," he offered as his parents walked quickly up to us, with concerned looks on both of their faces.
"Thank you" I muttered and I watched as a meek smile spread across his face. I opened my mouth to add something further but suddenly stopped when I heard Queen Aurora argue with her mother from inside the castle and it pushed me to breaking point. "I need to go," I muttered.
"Ok" I heard Ben say as he quickly opened the door.
"We have already said goodbye for you both" Adam advised as me and Ben quickly climbed back into the car and sat in our seats from before.
"Thank you" I heard Ben answer as his parents climbed into the car and also took to the same seats as our journey here. As I fastened my seatbelt I tried to work on my breathing to calm it down, but I couldn't help but sigh when the car pulled away. I looked out of the window and I started to reflect on what had happened between me and Leah; full well knowing that this was probably the start of the next feud between our already warring families.
We had only been driving for around half an hour when I started to feel my stomach contract and I started to feel like I wanted to be sick. I fell into an instant panic at the fact that I didn't want to be sick in the car so I quickly turned towards Ben, who was currently staring blankly into space.
"Ben stop the car" I muttered.
"What?" he questioned as he looked at me as I started to pant.
"Stop the car!" I exclaimed. "I need to be sick" I told him and I watched as his eyes opened in shock as I quickly took off my seat belt as Adam and Belle both looked over to me.
"DAWSON STOP!" he shouted and the car quickly came to an abrupt stop and I quickly opened the door and climbed out. Dawson had stopped on one of the dirt track roads that led onto the main roads and motorways that would take us back to Auradon City. On each side of the road there were large oak trees that led to the surrounding forests that were in South Beauty, and just to line the road perfectly there was a light brown wooden fence.
I quickly walked up to the fence and put my head into my hands as I started to hear my ears start to ring and I moved my head side to side a couple of times to try and help with the current disorienting situation. However I was quickly distracted as my stomach contracted sharply again and my hands fell from my face as I bent forward and retched to be sick. But to no avail nothing would come up.
"Come on Mal" I heard Ben say as he stood next to me on my right hand side. "You're ok" he told me as he stroked the top of my back with his left hand, which made me grunt back at him.
"Nothing will come up" I moaned before I retched to be sick once more, and again I received the same outcome - no vomit.
"Ok" I heard Ben answer again as he used his right hand to move my hair from my face. "Just let me know when you are ready and then we will go.
"Ok" I muttered as I took some deep breaths to try and help with my nausea and the rages that were engulfing me. And when I felt like I had regained enough composure to be able to get back in the car I stood up straight and meekly smiled at Ben. "We should go," I said meekly.
"Yes" he nodded and we both turned to walk back to the car. But when I had only taken one step forward my body froze still as the ringing suddenly got louder and my hearts started to throb as my heart felt like it was pounding in my ears erratically. I couldn't stop myself from throwing my head back and a low groan broke out of my lips as if it had a life of it's own.
"Mal?" I watched Ben say as he turned around and looked at me. "Mal what's wrong?" he asked as he stood in front of me.
"I don't know" I moaned as pain started to pass through me.
"Let's get you home," he decided.
"No!" I exclaimed as I feared taking another step would only make the pain and my other symptoms worse. "Give me a moment?" I begged and I watched as Ben nodded at me as his eyes continued to burn in concern.
"What's going on?" I heard Adam call from the car.
"I don't know" Ben admitted as he looked over to the car as I felt my eyes burn which told me that they were currently glowing bright green. "Mal your eyes!" Ben exclaimed in shock as he looked back at me.
"I know" I nodded as I bawled my fists up and put my head forward slightly and I growled deeply. I watched as Ben took in a couple of deep breaths in as his eyes widened in shock at this response. I groaned darkly again as I knew what was happening - my confrontation with Lady Leah had caused me to suffer from an EI. However this time something felt different, yes I know that I was pushed further than I have ever been before but I didn't know how I was going to be able to calm down. After everything that had just happened the way that Lady Leah had made me feel was always going to be somewhere deep with me, and I didn't know how to start learning to live with this - especially without Ben by my side. He made everything better for me, but now every word, kiss, hug and hand holding period was going to be monitored until our wedding day - something that made me sick to my stomach! "OW!" I gasped when I felt something snap within me as my rage towards Lady Leah and her actions against me and Ben flew through me.
"Mal!" Ben exclaimed as I took a step back as both of my hands flew to my chest. The ringing and pounding in my ears got worse, if that was even possible and with this I slowly moved my hand from my chest to my ears, as if this would drown it out. I grimaced as I threw my head back and a low groan escaped from my lips once more, I stumbled back and Ben tried to grab me but I quickly put up my right hand to stop him as I took another step away from him. As the ringing got louder I felt my skin start to feel like it was on fire, and another wave of nausea quickly assaulted me as if there was something within me trying to burst free. The ringing and burning got louder and more intense that my body just suddenly gave in and I dropped to my knees. "MAL!" Ben shouted in shock as he stepped forward.
"Give me a moment" I muttered as I took some deep breaths to help steady myself. My whole body then started to painfully tingle so I wrapped my arms out to try and support myself. "AUGH !" I cried out in pain as I started to writhe in pain on the floor as I watched as Adam and Belle quickly climbed out of the limousine to see what was going on. I watched as the three of them watched me for a few seconds before I shouted out in pain once but I froze as dark purple smoke started to form around me.
"What the-" Ben started as I felt a sudden explosion within me.
"AUGH!" I screamed again as I felt like I was being torn in two as my body tingled. I went to scream again however I froze in shock and panic when a loud roar echoed around the surrounding forest of South Beauty. My eyes snapped open and to my horror when I looked down at myself lying on the floor it appeared that I had changed into a large, dark purple dragon.
I slowly climbed onto my two feet and looked down at Ben, Adam and Belle to see them all look up at me in shock at what had just happened. I couldn't believe that this had happened, yes I knew that as my mother could change into a dragon that there was a chance that I would be able to - but I had always hoped that this wouldn't be the case. If this news got out surely then it would only spell disaster for me and Ben! Me changing into a dragon was linked to the evil side from my mother, and I didn't want anyone thinking that I was evil - I didn't want to. And me changing into a dragon was not going to change this.
"MAL!" Ben shouted up at me. "TRY TO CALM DOWN" he instructed as he slowly looked me up and down as I stood up. "I know how you are feeling. I have been there" he told me and I felt with even more respect for Ben. He knew exactly how I was currently feeling, but I think he also may have known my next move. Yes changing into a dragon had made things feel slightly better but I needed to get completely out of the situation to help myself calm down.
So with this in mind I screeched as I threw my head back and when I looked down I saw that the three of them had put their hands against their ears to help contend with the noise. I flapped my large wings a couple of times before I felt my large clawed feet leave the ground.
"NO MAL!" Ben shouted as I started to fly higher. "COME BACK!" he begged as we both shared a quick glance before I sighed and turned away, flying away from them. Yes I hated leaving them like that but I needed to calm down, and hopefully when I did I was going to be able to figure out how to change back. There was part of me that didn't want to, as changing back meant I had to return back to mine and Ben's current reality, but I knew that I would always change back. Ben needed me just as much as I needed him, and I only hoped that he would forgive me for leaving him like this.
Thankfully there were a lot of woodland areas on my flight home back to Auradon City, so this made it easy for me to keep out of the way of the roads. Which meant I was able to keep out of sight of anyone, there was one time in which I thought I was going to be seen by a couple sitting by a lake but thanks to my hyper sense hearing I was able to change my flight path to make sure that I didn't catch their eye line.
This then did start to make me wonder about how the Kingdom would probably react to seeing me like this. They probably thought that I was finally giving into my evil ways, as this is what my mother used to do. In a bid to scare and terrify she would change into a dragon in the midst of a fight, just to throw her weight around. I could categorically say that this wasn't the case for me, me changing into a dragon was in response to becoming overwhelmed, pure and simple.
I did note that the longer that I flew through the warm Auradon sky the more calmer that I became, yes it was only by a small degree but it was enough for me to start to feel settled in my current state. It felt that I could understand Ben even better, yes a Beast and Dragon wasn't exactly the same. But fundamentally I could see how changing could help deal with a build up of anger, something that I knew that I may have to take up to doing over the next coming months.
My mind then went on to how Ben looked just before I flew away and left him by the roadside with his parents. I hated how I left like that, but given how much anger and magic was currently flowing through me at the time the best thing that I could do was leave like that. I needed to get out of that situation; and I hoped that Ben would understand this.
However before I could fixate on this any further Auradon City started to come into view and I started to feel better at the fact that I was nearly home; but I wasn't quite right to go home yet and face the music. So I began to think about where I could go to try and calm down before I went back to speak to Ben, Adam and Belle and as I did this the enchanted lake came into view, which felt like the most perfect place to go right now.
I then slowly flew down and landed on the stone platform and as I did this I noticed how little room I had; and I began to think about how to change back. I looked at the very picturesque scene around me and as I did this I worked on my breathing in a bid to try and calm myself down. After I had been doing this for a few minutes I started to sigh in relief as I started to feel the pressure in my chest start to release and ebb away. I then my head back and sighed happily and to my shock the same dark purple smoke surrounded me once more as my body started to burn and tingle. I felt my eyes burn bright green as the familiar ringing started to engulf my ears again and I closed my eyes tightly. I continued to work on my breathing to steady myself and after a few moments I opened my eyes slowly to see that I had changed back.
"I am going to need to keep a handle on that" I muttered to myself as I looked at both of my hands as I noted how weak I felt. I quickly dismissed this as I sighed and sat down in between the two stone pillars and I took in the beautiful scene before me. I then shrugged out of my socks and shoes and placed them on my right side before letting them dangle down so they were just a few inches above the serene water below.
After sitting in silence for Hades how long I decided that I did do the right thing to come here, to take some time away from everything before heading back. I needed to make sure that I am calm, well calm as I am going to be in the situation that me and Ben now found ourselves in. The last thing that I wanted to happen was to change and hurt someone, I really didn't want that to happen. And this thought just made me realise how much Ben actually goes through, and now that I was armed with this information I made the mental note to be more aware of not just myself but Ben as well. As I knew that the following months were going to be hard for the pair of us, and I knew that not changing was probably going to become quite the problem for the pair of us.
I was awoken out of my train of thought on how I was going to try and deal with our current situation when I heard my phone ring, so with this in mind I then pulled my phone out to see that Ben was ringing me - in fact it looked like he had been ringing me since I had left him, unfortunately.
"Hello" I said as I answered the phone.
"Mal!" he exclaimed. "Are you ok?" he quickly asked me and I could tell by the tone of his voice he was relieved that I had finally answered his call.
"As well as I'm going to be" I muttered.
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Erm-" I started. "I'm not ready to come back, Ben," I advised him. "I need to calm down," I stressed.
"Right," he noted. "I get that Mal. Believe me I understand what you are going through" he added. "Just know I am here for you" he offered happily.
"I know," I replied. "There is something that I need, but I can't have it" I sighed.
"You can," he dismissed. "Name it it's yours!" he implored.
"You already are mine Ben" I chuckled.
"Oh!" he exclaimed. "You want me" he realised.
"Yes" I confirmed. "I need you to hold me, Ben" I admitted as I pouted. "But how can that even happen with this proposition!" I exclaimed. "We can't put us and our relationship at risk!" I pressed further.
"Hey!" he cooed before I could fall into despair over the state of the situation that we were currently in. "We are not putting each other or our relationship at risk, tell me where you are" he stated.
"Ben we can't" I stressed.
"We can," he dismissed. "We can just act like we haven't received it yet" he suggested.
"Ben, your parents know about it," I reminded him. "Queen Elsa knows about it, Queen Aurora and King Philip know about it," I continued. "She knows about it!" I snapped, and I took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down. "Enough people know to cause damage" I urged after a few moments of sitting in silence.
"Yes" he agreed. "But I can't not see you Mal, I need you just as much as you need me" he confessed. "No one will know" he urged. "My parents aren't going to say anything, I promise" he finished.
"Ok" I decided. "I'm at the Enchanted Lake," I told him.
"Ok" he repeated. "See you soon," he said happily.
"See you soon," I replied.
"Love you" he answered.
"Love you too" I told him and then my phone beeped to tell me that he had terminated the call. I then slid my phone back into my pocket as I looked back at the scene in front of me. Of course the only person I needed right now was Ben, but I did have mixed feelings about seeing him right now. I wanted to see Ben, heck! I needed to see Ben. But I didn't know if I should if it was going to risk our relationship, I didn't want to 'find another suitor' or have to watch Ben have to against his will. I then let Ben's words echo in my mind, which reassured me. He was right, not enough people knew about the proposition yet to do any damage, so maybe we should steal a few private moments together - while we still can.
I didn't know how long I was sitting in silence but I couldn't stop a small smile spread across my face as I started to hear movement in the distance which told me that Ben was running towards me. I started to fill with an unease at the fact that I didn't know how Ben was about to react over what happened last time we saw each other. Yes I knew that he would understand why I acted the way I did, but this didn't mean that he wasn't going to be hurt by it - especially the way I left him.
"Mal" I heard him say, breaking me out of my train of thought. I then slowly turned around to see him running towards me, with his hair sticking up as the wind flew through it.
"Hello" I muttered before turning back and looking at the scene in front of me.
"Hello" I heard him say as he dropped down and sat down on my right hand side.
"I'm sorry" I quickly apologised, not looking up at him as I started to feel a lump start to form in my throat.
"What for?" he questioned.
"Everything" I answered. "What happened with Leah?" I added. "Leaving like that!" I stated as my voice broke and my eyes started to water.
"Hey!" he cooed as he wrapped his left arm around my shoulders and he pulled me to him so my head rested against his shoulder. I sighed as I felt him snuggle into my hair as we both sat in silence for a few minutes. "Everything will be ok Mal" he muttered. "I promise" he vowed and I meekly nodded at this. We then fell back into silence as we both took in the situation we both found ourselves in, and the longer we sat in silence like this the more and more I fell into despair. I hated the situation! I knew that the pair of us was going to struggle with being kept away from each other - we struggled enough with this as it was! However even though I knew it was going to hurt the pair of us we had to follow through with it - I couldn't risk Ben or our relationship. This wasn't even an option! I couldn't be without Ben. I had changed for him and this change was permanent. I knew that there was no one else for me apart from Ben, yes I knew we had our moments as all couples do but I knew to lose him completely would kill me. As time and silence continued to tick by I fixated on the fact that I needed to do everything in my power to make sure that me and Ben were never torn apart, and I knew that we would achieve this - even though it was going to take every ounce of strength that we had.