An: the battle may be over...but I'm still writing up to Ben and Mal's wedding! I'm guessing about ten chapters left. Enjoy!
NymhadoraTonks: Thank you for your support! Please tell me what you think of this chapter!
The battle was over after Rose struck the orb. A flash of light beamed over the kingdom as the magic swirled back into their original holder. As she watched it all, Audrey screamed in anger as her clouds and lightning disappeared. The wolves vanished, and the knight's armor crashed down. Audrey dropped to her knees and began to cry. Mal leapt into action and took the scepter from Audrey. The girl then feel asleep immediately. She crashed to the ground unconscious.
"What about the spell over everyone?" Evie asked. A pink haze loomed over the whole kingdom. Mal had never noticed it before because of the pink lightning. Everyone gathered around together and looked around, wondering what to do next. The ember was gone, and Mal didn't know if she could reverse the spell even with the scepter. She breathed deeply, trying to figure out what to do.
"I think I can help," a voice said behind them. Ben turned his head to see Rose. She didn't look like her usual self though. Her brown hair was curled and laid on her shoulders. Placed on top was a crown made of small red and pink roses on woven rose steams. Over her jacket, a log blue robe went all the way down to her toes. That was when Ben recognize her. She was dressed like the enchantress their dad had described to them as kids. As Rose held out her hands, Ben noticed the tattoos of thorns that replaced her cuffs. They began to glow a pink hue that matched Rose's eyes.
They all watched as she was lifted into the air. The pink hue was slowly absorbing into her. The sleep potion was no more. The sun began to rise as Rose's spell completed. The kingdom was restored to its peacefulness. The teens watched as the rest of their peers and the rest of Auradon awoke. The stone statues have become real again.
Belle and Beast came back to life before Belle opened Rose's cell door. The room was empty, and Belle gasped. Little did she know Rose was saving everyone.
After the spell had absorbed into Rose, she then fell from the sky slowly. She could feel her eyes become droopy. When her foot touched the ground, she laid down on the ground not far from Audrey. Her eyes fluttered shut as she gave into the spell that drained her. The last thing she heard was a muffled calling of her name. Ben's voice echoed as she drifted into a deep sleep.
When Rose woke up, she looked around quickly. She was back in her cell. Was it really all a dream? Her heart quickened its pace. Rose sat up as, she looked to her hands, expecting cuffs. All that were there were her new tattoos. She turned her head up suddenly to see Evie sitting at the edge of her bed. it was the last person she thought she would see after she woke up.
"Hello?" Rose said as she sat on the edge of her bed. Evie's brown eyes looked at Rose with slight fear. Rose used to enjoy this look in people's eyes but it felt offensive coming from the blue-haired princess.
"Hey," Evie grinned a little, but it quickly faded away. "I didn't think you would wake up on my watch." Her watch? How long had she been asleep? Rose was getting more confused by the second.
"Where's everyone else?" Rose looked to the tiny barred window in the high corner. Noon sunlight was seeping in.
"Upstairs with Audrey," Evie's voice was still quiet as she diverted her eyes. "I'm supposed to bring you up there when you awoke."
"Then why are we still sitting in this cell?" Rose asked. She didn't move. It wasn't a question that didn't need action. Rose wanted to know why Evie was acting so uncomfortable. Evie shifted herself so she was facing her.
"Because I want to know," Evie choked on her words. "Why me?" Rose's heart sank as she recalled everything.
It had almost been a year ago. Rose possessed Evie through her magic mirror. She gave her powers, and hatred. She had convinced Evie to run away from everyone in fear and anger. She used her feelings of Carlos to fuel it too. Then, manipulated her through the real magic mirror before Carlos destroyed it. To top things off, Rose continued Evie's possession so even Ben wouldn't trust her. She then kidnapped Evie from the dungeon and used her to teach her army. She had rocked the girl o her core until she was completely under her control. Evie was a main pawn that was used in her twisted game.
"I saw everything," Rose said after a minute. "How...unhappy you were. Evie, it was nothing personal." She wanted to keep her explanation short, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy.
"Nothing personal? You used Carlos to get me to do what you wanted. And you're supposed to just waltz around now free because you saved us? I'm permanently scarred from the even of last summer and fall. No one seems to understand that." She hugged her knees as she blinked back tears.
"I do," Rose said in a soothing voice. "I understand."
"How?" Evie's voice sounded angry. She narrowed her eyes at Rose. She cleared her throat as she thought what to say to the girl she had done so much harm to.
"My whole childhood," Rose said simply. "I had been pushed around by my mother, forced to keep secrets from my brother, and had to hide my true self away. This magic I had possessed me too. My mind went sick from all of the confusion. I didn't even know who I was anymore. When I finally saw someone that was similar to me, I wanted to turned them into something they weren't. I wanted someone else to understand the pain of the past, and use it for what I thought was good. I never wanted world domination, all I've ever wanted was to be free. And you helped me, Evie. You and Carlos have shown me that love is possible. You can also be forgiven, and that's true freedom. That night, I broke free from the possession because of the love I had for Ben. Just as you had broken from yours because of your love for Carlos. I'm myself now, and... so are you... We can dwell on the pain of the past, but I think its better if we just patch it up...with the future."
There were no words from Evie as she wrapped her arms around Rose. The once lost princess still wasn't used to embraces from other people, but Rose hugged her back. A weight had bee lifted off her shoulders. One, she didn't even know was there. Before, she didn't think that Evie had been affected by the possession. Before, she had seemed so normal, but Rose could act like that too. She had done it for years to please her mother. Now, there was no mask, for either of them.
Mal, Ben, and Carlos all were sitting in a guest room in the castle. Audrey was laying asleep on the bed. She had been sleeping for almost two days, as had Rose. They didn't know what to do to reverse the spell. Yesterday, Mal had suggested to bring her father in. The ember would obey him, even though it was thrown into the Enchanted lake by Celia.
Mal held it in her palm tightly as they awaited his arrival. Belle and Beast walked in the room. Ben turned to them. "Mom. Dad." Ben walked over to them. "What's wrong?" He looked at their perplex faces. They exchanged looks with each other before looking back to Ben.
"He's here," Beast said. Mal stood up quickly from her chair. Carlos placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from running into the hall. Footsteps grew in sync. Mal's heart began to beat loudly as a wave of nerves washed over her. She felt hallow as her eyes gazed upon her father once again. His blue eyes met hers instantly. He raised his eyebrows.
"Hey, kiddo," he said with a sly voice. "You didn't take your chances well, I hear. It'll still work for me at least." He held out his cuffed hands. Mal held up the ember, but hesitated.
"I want you to know we're trusting you," Mal said as she looked up at him. "No tricks."
"No tricks," Hades repeated. "I'm still proud of you though. Helping save the world is a hundred times better than doing nothing at all." Mal felt herself grin as she placed the ember in her father's hands. Something in his tone was real. He was actually proud of her. He wasn't just trying to get on her good side. "Boys!" Hades clashed his cuffs together. The guards fumbled with the keys and unlocked the villain's wrists.
He closed his eyes. As his blue hair began to flame, Carlos clutched Mal's shoulder again. Belle and Beast looked terrified of him. Ben kept a straight face, but even the brave king was filled with fear. Mal took a deep breath as she watch her father opened his glowing eyes. He turned to the sleeping girl. He raised his hands over her. The room became very dark.
Green magic began to shift around Audrey's body. It began to lift from her, but then it fell back inside of her. Hades grunted. "The ember isn't as strong as it was before. The water must have caused it to loose its power over the scepter." Mal felt her heart sink. Was this what Audrey's fate was to be? Sleeping under the curse of touching the scepter?
"I'll go find Fairy Godmother," Ben stated as he walked out of the room. "To see if she has recovered well enough to try her wand." Everyone stared at each other. No one knew what to do.
"There has to be another way," Mal said. She didn't want to give up.
"There is," a voice called from the door. Everyone turned to see Rose leaning against the door frame. Her enchantress robe was tied loosely around her, showing off her jacket. As she took a few steps into the room, Belle gasped as she stood up. Evie walked in behind her. Carlos placed an arm around her as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Rose?" Belle was questioning the identity of her own daughter. Rose looked to her mother. The last time she did, they were stones, reaching to open her cell door. Rose didn't even know how to respond. If she should be happy to see her, or still angry.
"Enchantress Rose, actually," Rose said in a cheery voice as she rolled up her sleeves. Both parents' eyes widened at the sight of her tattoos. The sound made Rose grin a little.
"So," Hades said in a smooth voice. He raised an eyebrow. "You must be the crazy princess I've been hearing about."
"So, you must be the disappointing father I've been hearing about," Rose shot back as she rounded the bed. Mal bit her tongue in order to keep from laughing. "If we work together we can reverse the curse. Evil and Good magic is the most powerful."
"Its not evil, just dark," Hades said before lifting his hands. Rose grinned a little as her tattoos began to glow. The room became dim again. Rose closed her eyes as she began to concentrate. Hades did the same. Rose's hair began to lift as she whispered the reversal spell. The green magic swirled within Audrey. Only this time, when it lifted from her body, it turned to pink and it absorbed itself into Rose.
When the lights came back on, everyone looked to Audrey. Her eyes fluttered open. They looked around to everyone, then they landed on Rose. She breathed in deeply as anger spread across her face. "It's over, Audrey," Rose said quietly.
"Was I dreaming?"
"No," Rose shook her head. Audrey looked down for a bit. She seemed to be pained by this information.
"I'm going to jail, aren't I?" Audrey asked suddenly.
"Probably," Rose smiled sympathetically. "But so am I."
"No," Ben said from the door. "Not ever again. Especially after saving Auradon." Rose looked to her brother with a hopeful gaze. It felt all time had stopped. She remembered the last time she talked to him. He told her that she wasn't his sister anymore. But, Rose could tell by the look in Ben's eyes that it was no longer true. With a simple gaze the two exchanged apologies. Noting needed to be said.
The two smiled at each other. Rose ran to him before throwing her arms around the king. Ben caught her and held her tightly to him. He felt overfilled with joy. He finally could have his sister back the way he wanted to. She could be free with him. Rose lets a few tears fall down her cheeks. She was shaking as she heard Ben whispered. "I can't believe you saved me. Saved us all."
"You were the one that saved me," Rose whispered before burying her face into his shoulder. Ben too was crying now. Finally, after all of this time, Rose felt no barrier between she and Ben. They understood and trusted each other completely. The love between them was stronger than anything else in the world. To think that she was once a cold hearted beast who hated all. Now to love one person more than anything.
When the two separated. Rose looked to see both Beast and Belle looking at her. They were on their feet. She swallowed as she took a step towards her mother. Belle's face was still perplexed and scared. Rose had to admit she was too. "Rose..." Belle said in a quiet voice. "I'm- we're- We think you've earned your place back at the castle."
"What?" Rose raised an eyebrow. She was shocked. Had she just imagined it? Or was Belle really trying to make things right?
"We want you to live here in the castle again," Beast said as he put his hands on his wife's shoulders.
"You can come home," Belle said quietly. Home. It was a word that Rose hated to think about. It was because it was a thing she had always desired, but never truly had. She thought about all of the fights she and her mother had. The final conversation on the balcony. Then, when Belle apologized at graduation. The old Rose would have thought this was a trap, but she was no longer the old Rose.
You have to keep your head high and your heart open. You still have the power to recover what you had lost.
Rose turned to Ben. He was smiling. "You've earned it," Ben nodded. Rose too a big, shaky breath. She didn't know what to think. The Enchantress' words were echoing in her mind. She had no clue what the future would bring. She needed to follow her own words. The past can be patched with the future.
"Alright," Rose nodded, her heart beating in her ears. And for the first time in almost ten years, Belle smiled at her daughter.
"Mal," Audrey called. "Ben." All of the attention turned to Audrey. "I wanted to hurt both of you for what you did. But I think I should have been more focused on the hurt I caused for myself. I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Audrey," Ben came to her bed side. "I'm sorry to say that you're going to have to plead your case in trial. I think this calls for a proper judgement. No more whims. Rose's case proved that she was treated unfairly."
Audrey's face turned from sad to cold. "Then I take back what I said."
"Audrey," Rose said lightly. "It's not worth it to be mean. Trust me, I know."
"What do you know?" Audrey sat up. "You're the one that convinced me to pursue my anger."
"You did that to yourself," Rose kneeled down. "The proof is on those papers. I had only told you what you already knew. I did not control your actions in anyway. And to think, I may have testified for your release."
"You are?"
"I was, but now I guess we'll just have to see." Rose said with a straight face.
"No! This is not fair! I should have won! I shou-" Audrey fell back asleep when the girl placed a hand on her arm. Rose stood up from the bed. She felt terrible inside. How things could turn so quickly. Audrey would have a long way to go.
"I think she should be under guard watch for a while," Ben said.
"I'll clean out my cell," Rose said, "She can stay in there until the trial." Rose, Ben, Belle, Beast, and two guards carrying Audrey left the room. Evie and Carlos hesitated. Each looked at Mal and Hades, then they left too.
Mal looked to her dad. "Thank you." She said it quietly, but Hades grinned. The guards went over to him and clipped the handcuffs over him again. As he left, Hades looked back at her, then turned into the hall. Mal thought about how she's treated her father. How Celia told him how much he asked about her.
She ran out into the hall. "Dad!" He turned. The guards kept a good grip on him. Mall dropped her hands to her sides. "Now I'm going to have to miss you all over again." She said it without thinking.
"Thanks for showing me the sun," Hades said after moment. Mal smiled before walking up to him, and kissing her father's cheek. Hades smiled before he turned. It was a bittersweet moment. Mal took the ember from the back of his hand. With one final look, Hades was taken from her again. Mal would have to live without her father, but not without his love. She looked at the ember and grinned before turning her own way and walking down the hall.