Hey, y'all! How are all y'all doin'? I hope you've enjoyed the story so far! The last part was a HUGE emotional roller coaster for me... I swear there were tears in my eyes for practically the entire time. I loved writing it though! I hope you all enjoy this next part and please please PLEASE leave reviews! I've only gotten 2 maybe 3. It's kind of hard wanting to write when I don't know if anyone likes it. Especially on FanFiction... ANYWAY, I hope you enjoy this story!
It took a few days but Mal was finally able to get on her feet and walk. Everyone else was pretty happy about it as well, she was starting to drive them all crazy with her restlessness. Everyone was so happy though. The future queen is alright and everyone was relieved and overjoyed. Some flowers and cards showed up daily! Mrs. Potts was starting to joke about dedicating a room for just Mal's support followers there were so many. But everyone was so happy and Mal's miracle recovery was the talk of the decade, it nearly beat the amount of talk when the Isle of the Lost was created! Anyway, after a few days of healing, Mal was starting to go back into the public eye, but she wasn't entirely sure what she was going to see. And it'll soon surprise her.
"Mal! Mal, over here!" she heard a voice call out. She turned to face the girl that she least expected to talk to her.
"Mal, hey!" Audrey smiled softly. She wasn't quite so sure that this was a good idea anymore.
"Oh, hey!" Mal replied. Mal was uncertain about how to react to this. The two stood together for a moment awkwardly waiting for the other to say something. Finally, Audrey and Mal said,
"I'm so sorry!" They blinked then started laughing.
"You first," Mal suggested.
"Okay, I just wanted to say that I am so so sorry about how I've treated you for the last year or so. I was jealous of you being with Ben. You two clicked but that never really happened for the two of us while we were together. I guess I was just upset that I wasn't good or bad enough for him." Audrey smiled softly, ashamed of how she was treating Mal, especially since she just saved her life and nearly sacrificed her own in the process. "I'm so sorry and I just wanted to thank you for all that you've done for me. I didn't deserve it."
Mal smiled. She never knew Audrey felt that way and while she was happy that Audrey was okay with her and Ben now, it didn't excuse how she treated Audrey.
"Audrey, I'm the one that should be apologizing! I stole your boyfriend and I never even thought about how you would feel about it. That was mean of me. I've got to say that I didn't care who I hurt when I was on the Isle and when I first came here, but I'm so sorry that I made you feel that way. Ben does care about you, you know. He's said numerous amounts of times how close the two of you were before you started dating! He said that he was sorry that he lost you and wished that the two of you could be friends and I was wondering... do you think we could be friends too? I know that I don't deserve any forgiveness for what I've done to you, but I hope that we'll be able to become close," Mal ended hoping that Audrey will say yes.
Audrey beamed. She had no idea Ben felt that way let alone Mal! She couldn't believe that Mal thought that she didn't deserve her forgiveness and that Audrey wouldn't want to be her friend.
"Mal, of course, I'd like to be your friend! I'm just glad that you're okay. I felt horrible once I learned that you sacrificed yourself for me, especially since I treated you so awfully." Mal shook her head and moved her hand making a gesture showing that it was all in the past.
"I'm glad that you're okay. I was nervous that Mr. Beast wouldn't allow my father to come!" Mal explained. Audrey giggled.
"Did you hear about the way they reacted to each other? Harry was worried that they were going to throw done right then and there!" Mal laughed then stopped realizing what Audrey said.
"Wait, you talked to Harry!?" she asked, completely astonished. Audrey blushed.
"Maybe...?" her voice squeaked out. Mal chuckled again. She never would've thought that Audrey would talk to Harry, but to be honest? They would make a pretty cute couple. She said so to Audrey and she turned even redder.
"I don't know, I think he likes Uma," Audrey replied skeptically but Mal could hear a bit of dejectedness in her voice.
"Nah, Harry just flirts with a lot of girls. Trust me, I think he likes you."
"Really?!" Audrey grinned. "Why do you think so?" Mal grinned.
"Because he's staring at you." Audrey whipped her head around to where Mal gestured and sure enough, Harry was staring at her and he turned red when he saw that she noticed. Audrey turned back to Mal looking a bit giddy. Mal chuckled.
"Why don't you go talk to him?" she suggested.
"You sure?" asked Audrey. "I don't want to leave you alone." Mal waved her hand in an "I'll be fine" motion. Audrey grinned and practically skipped over to the pirate. Mal chuckled and turned around to see Ben trying to sneak up on her. She raised an eyebrow and he straightened acting nonchalantly. She shook her head and walked over to him smiling.
"I see you were talking to Audrey and the two of you seemed to be having a good time," Ben commented. Mal smiled and looked over to where Audrey was talking to Harry.
"Yeah, I guess she's different than what I thought she was." Ben shook his head, let an ex-girlfriend and girlfriend nearly die together and they'll become best friends.
"Hey, so we've got to announce the Isle barrier," he reminded Mal. She nodded realizing that it was time. She and Ben walked over to the stairs and climbed up onto the balcony. Trumpets sounded for the two royals and they prepared to make the speech.
"Citizens of Auradon, as you know it's been a pretty busy week," Ben joked. There were laughs from the audience knowing that he was trying to make the week seem busy and not at all dangerous.
"Mal and I have an announcement to make regarding the barrier around the Isle of the Lost," Ben sighed. This was the moment he's been dreading. He couldn't believe that he was going to say this, but his parents and Mal were right, they have to protect Auradon.
"We will-"
"Wait..." Mal interrupted, loud enough for Ben to hear her but not loud enough so that anyone else could. She turned to face him and sighed.
"Ben, I can't do this."
"Wait what do you mean?"
"I can't be Queen of Auradon," she admitted. He blinked trying to see if he heard right. Mal half-smiled.
"Hold up, yes you can! Why do you-" Mal interrupted again.
"Ben I can't be Queen of Auradon because I need to take care of the Isle. I can't let all those boys and girls stay there when they've done nothing wrong!" she exclaimed. Ben blinked again.
"So what are you saying?" he asked confused. She half-smiled and turned to the crowd who were confused and wondering what was going on.
"Citizens of Auradon, a moment ago King Ben was going to declare that we made a decision to close the barrier forever and it was my idea."
"But it's wrong and I can't do that." Mal sighed, this was the moment that was going to define her for the rest of her life. She's gotta make it right.
"I've learned that you can't live in fear because it doesn't actually protect you from anything. We are all capable of good and bad no matter which side of the barrier we come from. Which is why we need to take the barrier down forever."
There was stunned silence. Then as if a timer went off, everyone exploded with emotions. Some people were screaming about the danger, if she was out of her mind, that she'll let the villains out, what if everyone gets hurt. But the majority of the people were cheering. It was high past time to let those kids be free.
Mal turned to Ben waiting for his reaction. He was the only one that mattered. He was shocked still.
"Ben?" she whispered, a bit nervous about his reaction. He smiled, then full-out grinned.
"I agree." He walked up to Mal and contributed to the speech.
"It's time to stop living in fear. We've lived in fear for the last two decades and where has that gotten us? Anxiousness? Nervous break-downs? Unfairness? Pain? We need to let it go. We need to let go of all the hatred and pain that we've been clinging onto for the last twenty years and forgive. Forgive those who've caused us that pain. Forgive the people that hurt us and changed us. Forgive those that we believe who should not be forgiven, but who needs it more than anyone else. They've spent their time in sorrow, in pain, in hatred. Now it's time to let it all go and start a new day. It's time we turn the page and start a new chapter. We should not be ruled by fear but by compassion. If we don't allow the times to change, then we deserve the hatred. We deserve the pain. But it's high past time to let go of the past and focus on the present, in the future. Like a wise woman said, 'Don't focus on the past or you'll miss the future!'. It's time to let the past go. It's time to be the heroes that we believe we are. For if we let those children die and our past enemies die without letting them know of our forgiveness and how to be truly good, then we are not heroes. We are villains. It's time to let our hatred go." Ben finished. There was silence once again, but when the emotion explosion happened, it was all good things. But Mr. Beast walked up to Ben with a worried expression.
"Son, I don't think-"
"Father, it's not your decision to make. I'm the king now and I'm following my heart." Ben interrupted knowing exactly what the previous king was about to say. Belle smiled. While she was a bit worried about how everyone else was going to react, she believed in her son and his soon-to-be-wife.
"Adam, he's right." Belle walked up to the former king and dragged him back down off to the side of the balcony. Ben smiled, overjoyed that his mother believed in him. He turned to Fairy Godmother.
"Fairy Godmother? Drop the barrier." She smiled and nodded but before she cast the spell, she hesitated. She walked over to Mal and gently said,
"I think you're the one who should do this." She smiled and handed over the wand to the future queen. Mal had tears in her eyes when she took the wand. She fiercely hugged Fairy Godmother before turning to the Isle which was off in the distance. But before she cast the spell, she turned to Evie, Jay, and Carlos who were standing off the side on the balcony.
"Together?" she asked. They turned to each other and nodded. Once they were all together they chanted, along with Ben, the spell that'll finally give everyone a chance to be good.
"To make the world a better place
We have to do it face to face."
Immediately, golden sparks shot out from the wand and flew to the barrier, hitting it and causing the barrier to fall. A stone walkway from the Isle to the edge of Auradon was made magically and now the two worlds were connected. Everyone cheered and shouted with glee. The barrier was down, forever. And no one would put it back up.
*After the song and the dance*
"Can you believe how far we've come?" Carlos asked while the four VKs were staring out at the Isle.
"I know! It was just about a year ago when we first got into that car thinking that we were going to die!" Evie recalled, causing everyone to laugh.
"Now look at us! Evie's shared true love's kiss, Carlos got a girlfriend, Gil and I are going on a world adventure, and Mal's getting married!" Jay exclaimed. Everyone nodded, seeing that their lives changed more than they could've ever imagined.
After a couple of minutes of content silence, Mal grinned coming up with an idea.
"Want to do one last race?" she asked a bit wickedly. They all looked at each other and, without a word, ran back to where it all started and where it all ended.
The End (Really This Time! ;) )