Mal's POV.
As she waved her sceptre I couldn't stop myself taking a step back. The force behind the magical wave she produced was too much for me to remain in the same position. As an evil laugh echoed through the Cathedral I turned to face my siblings and found Carlos on the floor, the force from my mothers magic clearly too much for him. But it isn't surprising since he is the only one of us who doesn't have a magical parent.
Both me and Evie extended our hands down to him and he willingly took them as we pulled him back up. I could tell just by my mother's laugh that if I didn't stop her soon she would start hurting people. One good thing about growing up with her endless damn stories about how she almost put Aurora to sleep for years and seeing her terrorize people on the isle, is that I knew the subtle little tells for her moves and what she was likely to do next.
"You okay, snowflake?" I asked him. I couldn't help but always be concerned about him. He's my little brother and god help anyone who tries to hurt him. My mother, who just knocked him on his arse, included. I watched as Carlos nodded to me and noticed both Evie and Jay stepped a little closer to him.
I spun around to face my mother again and seeing her with that smirk on her face just set me off. "Oh yeah, you would find that funny wouldn't you?" I asked her. Her laughing/cackling stopped immediately. "Always picking on people who can't fight back, never someone who could actually match you. I mean evil or not who curses a damn baby!" I ranted to her. The more I said the louder my voice had gotten until I was actually shouting at her. I gripped the wand in my hand a little tighter as I saw her eyes focus on me. What ever she throws at me I can't let her get the wand.
But I wasn't expecting her next move. She quickly stepped forward until she was stood directly in front of me and grabbed my arm as tight as she could. Thankfully the arm/hand holding the wand wasn't the arm she had grabbed an I was able to move that hand behind my back so if need be one of the others could grab the wand. "Oh you traitorous little brat. You should know better then to try to stand in my way." She said as she began tightening her grip on my arm. I knew what she was about to do and I tried to keep the pain I was feeling off of my face, knowing if I showed even a small amount of pain she would find it more enjoyable and I'm not about to let that happen.
I looked out of the corner of my eye as I saw something move near the dais. Momentarily I took my attention off my mother and looked towards the dais. I noticed Fairy Godmother move over to Ben, Belle and King Adam. It was then I noticed Ben was trying to free his arm from his mothers hold. I kept my focus on them long enough to see Fairy Godmother move to the opposite side of Ben to his parents and take hold of his arm, firmly yet comfortingly.
My attention moves back to my mother as her grip got too tight and she started twisting my arm. As I turned back to look at her I noticed her smirk had gotten bigger. She tightened her hold on my arm and carried on twisting. It was enough for me to finally show the pain on my face. I just couldn't keep it hidden any longer. What I didn't expect was for her to release my arm and take a few steps back.
She waved her sceptre again and I braced myself for the magical wave I thought was coming but instead I felt a searing pain rip through my body. I tried to fight it but the more I did the worse it hurt. After a few seconds I couldn't help the scream that erupted from my throat as the pain became too much for me and I fell to the floor. I clenched my hands into fists, tightening my hold on the wand even more.
I heard my mother start laughing as another scream came from me. This pain was just becoming unbearable. I don't even know how long this had been going on for I just hoped it stopped soon. "Please stop! Can't you see she's in agony! Stop!" I heard Belle shout to my mother. Mere seconds later I felt all the pain leave my body, leaving me aching all over. I flexed the fingers of my right hand and breathed a sigh of relief when I felt the wand still there.
As I say up I looked over to Belle and found her struggling against King Adam's hold, tears in her eyes. I noticed Ben in a similar state only with Fairy Godmother holding him back by his arm. It wasn't until I looked back at Belle, as Evie helped me to stand up, I noticed her gaze wasn't on me and she not looked scared not just worried.
Following her gaze I found my mother glaring at her. "Oh Mal. I raised you to be strong, evil. Now you have the Queen of Goodness standing up for you. I'm so disappointed in you." My mother said, never taking her eyes away from Belle. I knew I had to get her anger and attention back to me, I couldn't stand here and let Belle, Ben or anyone else for that matter get hurt because of me.
Noticing Evie's hold on my upper arms loosen a little I quickly walked forward, stopping only once I was between my mother and Belle. As my mother's angered gaze fell back on me I knew I had to think of something fast but I just couldn't think of anything. I took to long thinking as before I knew what was happening I felt myself being thrown across the Cathedral. I landed on my side and couldn't help the groan that left my mouth as I did. "Mal!" I heard various people shout, while others simply gasped. I couldn't focus on them though as my entire body still ached from my mothers spell earlier and I'm fairly certain that landing had bruised my side.
I quickly clambered up into a standing position and looked back to where I had just been standing. I immediately noticed my mother was looking between the royal family and Fairy Godmother apparently trying to decide who she wanted to hurt first. I didn't even let her make up her mind before I spoke. "Hey!" I shouted from where I stood half way across the Cathedral. "Leave them alone! Your fight is with me, not them Maleficent!" I knew calling her by her name and not calling her mother would be a sure fire way to gain her attention and drawing her anger away from the others.
She smirked as she began to walk towards me. "Are you sure your ready for this, Mal." Not the response I was expecting. I thought there would be more shouting or anger. Yet here she stood about ten steps away from me seemingly calm and collected. But as I locked eyes with her I saw her anger and knew it was a ruse to get into my head and gain the upper hand.
I didn't bother to answer her verbally, there wasn't any point. I just slowly raised my free hand towards the ceiling creating a large purple force field around me and my mother. I knew no one would get hurt not but it was rather tricky to do with one hand since I was still holding the wand.
"No!" I heard my siblings shout as they took a few steps forward.
"Mal! Stop!" Ben shouted and struggled against Fairy Godmother again. She actually had to hold onto Ben with both hands to stop him running over to me.
"Please, don't so this Mal." Evie said. I smiled over at my worried sister before answering her.
"I have to, E. One way or another this ends today." I said as my attention turned back to my mother, who was standing opposite me.
Once again a round of gasps echoed around the Cathedral. I briefly glanced around and looked at the shocked faces in the crowd. As my eyes settled in the direction of the royal family, Fairy Godmother and my siblings I saw their terrified expressions. My eyes settled on Ben and I swear I could feel my heart break a little at the sight of him. He looked absolutely terrified and tears were slowly leaking out of his eyes. I just wished I could erase the pain from his face. Wait!? That was it! I just had to get a clear shot.
"Like you could." My mother sneered at me. I turned back to face her and sent a glare at her.
Holding my left hand out at my side, palm facing up, a conjured a purple fire ball. "Let's see shall we." I stated, throwing the fore ball as I did. Unfortunately for her she didn't quite dodge it in time and it caught her shoulder. I couldn't help the smirk that spread across my face but as I saw the rage spread into her facial features I immediately regretted it.
She threw fire ball after fire ball at me and thankfully I was able to dodge them or reflect them with a wave of my hand or Fairy Godmother's wand. I noticed her getting more and more mad sending the fire balls even faster in my direction.
My mother then sent two fire balls in my direction, instantaneously. I managed to dodge the first one but I didn't notice the second one until it was to late to move or defect it. It hit me in my stomach and the force of it knocked me to the ground. As I landed I rolled onto my side and I placed my right hand (still holding the wand) over my stomach. I could feel a slight burning there but I didn't focus on it for long as I noticed my mother smirking and walking towards me. Clearly she thought she was in a position to finish me off. I knew this may be my only chance to get a clear shot at her and with that in mind I stayed in the same position I was currently in and tried not to move too much.
I noticed my mother was only a few steps away but I decided to wait a little longer before I tried anything. "Oh Mal. It should have ended with you by my side, not like this. But oh well. I can rectify my mistake from sixteen years ago now." She quietly told me. I had to admit it stung a little and I couldn't help but let the tears gather in my eyes. I always thought she loved me in her own way. Now I find out I'm just a mistake that needs to be sorted. She really doesn't hold any love in her heart. It kinda made me question everything. I mean if my own mother, no sorry birth giver, didn't love me how could my siblings or even Ben or Belle love me or care about me.
With those thoughts in mind I quickly rolled over and raised the wand, pointing it directly at Maleficent's chest. I registered the shock on her face but I wouldn't let that bother me since this would probably be my only chance. "Make it easy, make it quick, forget everything that I see fit." I chanted. A blast of gold magic shot from the wand and hit Maleficent square in the middle of her chest.
The force knocked her backwards and she tripped causing her to fall to the floor. My stomach was killing me and as I shuffled into a sitting position I let the pain and emotions from what she had told me wash over me. I finally let my tears fall as I lowered the force field. I felt rather then saw someone kneel next to me.
As someone wrapped their arms around me I turned a little and found it was Ben. I couldn't help but smile at Ben being the first one to me and comfort me. Maybe it was possible other people could care about me even thought Maleficent didn't.
"I love you, Mal." Ben whispered into my ear. My smile only grew at this. He had actually said it, without the love spell.
"I love you too." I told him as I wiped my tears away. I'm not going to sit here and cry for someone who doesn't give a crap. I moved out of Ben's embrace and he helped my to stand. I was sudden;y engulfed in a hug from Evie as Jay and Carlos came over to me. It soon turned into a group hug with all my siblings.
"Don't you ever scare us like that again." A familiar voice told me. I turned and found the stern yet caring/relieved face of Belle looking at me. Following the others she pulled me into a hug but as she tightened the embrace a little I couldn't help but flinch from the pain in my stomach. The Queen quickly released me. "Sorry." She said as she looked at me with an expression I have never seen directed at me before, motherly love/care.
I noticed Fairy Godmother over her shoulder. Quickly I walked over to Fairy Godmother and held out her wand to her. "I believe this belongs to you." I said with a shy smile. Fairy Godmother smiled back at me with a similar expression to Belle before gently taking her wand.
"Thank you." She said before both our attentions turned to the guards who were now handcuffing a very confused Maleficent. "I have to ask, what did you make her forget?" She asked me and I felt my smile falter.
"Everything." I stated. "Even me." I was expecting the apologetic look that crossed Fairy Godmother's face but I wasn't expecting her to hug me. The action made me smile again as I realised I was wrong earlier. Maybe she didn't care about me but I have people around me who do. I noticed Jane walk towards us as I moved away from Fairy Godmother.
Fairy Godmother turned but before she could talk, I did. "Jane." I said gaining both their attentions as I walked forward and gently grabbed the girls hands in my own. "I am so sorry for making you think like that. You are beautiful, inside and out. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently okay?" Jane nodded to me but I knew she didn't quite believe me. I couldn't believe the damage I had done to her self esteem. It would take a while but in time I knew we would all be okay. We could go back to our normal lives and normal school. Well as normal as a school can be when it's students are royals, half dwarves, witches, fairies, genies and who knows what other kind of supernatural beings.
Author's Note: Okay, while I have enjoyed writing this short story this is now the final chapter. So I am wondering what kind of story you guys would like to read next. I have lots of Bal story ideas but I could also like to challenge myself a little and maybe write another pairing as well. Any ideas, please let me know. Even if it's just a particular pairing you would like to see. Please review/PM me and let me know. I hope you enjoyed this chapter/story. x