What If 6

Chapter 6

Sorry Mother

As she stood next to Jane, waiting for the doors to open and Ben to walk in, Mal looked around the Cathedral. She made eye contact first with Fairy Godmother, than up into the balcony at her three friends. Their faces told her a lot. She could see the fear in their eyes. They were having doubts about their plan as well. That helped Mal feel better about what was about to happen, but she would hate to admit, she was still scared to death about how all their parents would react. How the crowd will react, at first, then after their plan is revealed.

And then it all fell apart. 'Jane just ruined everything.' Mal thought, as Ben jumped in front of her to protect her from the miss firing wand. Beast roared "Stand Back."

"Child what are you doing?" Fairy Godmother asked looking not at Jane but at Mal.

"If you won't make me beautiful, I will do it myself."

As the wand continued to shoot off sparks, Mal knew she still needed to get a hold of it to finish their plan. Maybe this might be a good thing after all, Mal thought. Then she jumped into action and grabbed the wand from Jane. But unfortunately the reactions from the crowd weren't relief, they were fear and shock. Ben stepped forward. Carlos, Jay and Evie ran down from the balcony, and up behind Mal. She was about to signal Fairy Godmother when she made eye contact with Ben, and he looked heart broken, he looked betrayed, and that shook Mal. It was the first time she hadn't seen true faith in her and her friends in his eyes. And it hit her hard. "Mal, give me the wand." He said. Shocked Mal snapped at him

"Stand back."

"Mal its ok."

"Ben, I said stand back!" Then from out of nowhere Mal heard her mother's voice. "Run Mal, bring me the wand." It seemed so close, but how, Mal needed to fight against it.

"I told you so." Audrey's shout brought Mal back into the situation at hand. Mal swung around to see who spoke.

"Let's go." Carlos spoke first. He knew now they had to leave, their friends would never accept them, it was time to go.

"Revenge time." Jay added. Mal swung back around, preparing to back out of the cathedral with her friends. But her eyes met Ben's, and that trusting face was back.

"You really want to do this?" He asked.

"Yes you do." It was Maleficent in Mal's head again. "You and your friend's lives depend on it."

"We have no choice Ben." Mal stated. "Our parents…"
"Your parents made their choices." Ben was trying to reason with her, get her to see she wasn't her mother. He took a step closer to show her he trusted her. "Now make yours."

Mal looked from his face, the on the dais. They were trusting same as Ben's. And her plan with fairy Godmother came back into her mind, pushing her mother's voice out of her head. "I think I want to be good."
"You are good." Ben said.

"How do you know that?" Mal asked, she needed to know what he saw in her, so she could see it too.

"Because…because I'm listening to my heart." Ben said

Lowering the wand slightly Mal agreed with Ben, "I want to listen to my heart too." She lowered the wand a little more. "And my heart is telling me that we are NOT our parents." She turned to face her friends, lowering the wand completely. Ben could have easily grabbed it then, but he had a feeling what Mal was about to say to her friends, meant more than ending this situation right then. "I mean, stealing things doesn't make you happy," she said to Jay. "Tourney and victory pizza with the team makes you happy." Jay nodded in agreement. Seeing she was succeeding Mal continued on to Carlos. "And you, scratching Dude's belly makes you happy who would have thought?' She let a little giggle out, then turned to Evie. "And Evie, you do not have to play dumb to get a guy, you are so smart."

Evie laughed and nodded, happy tears dripping down her cheeks.

Mal went on, "And I don't want to take over the world with evil. I want to go to school. And be with Ben." She turned to face him holding up the ring he had placed onto her hand just a brief half hour ago. "Because Ben makes me really happy." Mal turned back to her now smiling friends, "Us being friends makes me really happy. Not destroying things…"

Evie, Jay and Carlos all nodded in agreement. Mal put her hand out and said "I choose well you guys." She looked at her friends and waited, hoping they would join her. One by one they did, first Jay than Evie. Carlos needed reassurances that they were safe, but then he was in. Ben joined the foursome and Mal rested her head on his shoulder. She was just about to turn around and end this whole thing when glass shattered above them and a cloud of green smoke landed in front of them. Ben had move to protect his mother, because his father was still near Fairy Godmother and that side of the crowd.

"I'm back." Maleficent said as she appeared out of the smoke.

"Go away mother." Mal said, raising the wand again.

"Maleficent let out a small snicker, "You're very funny." She extended her free hand and looked at Mal. "Here- wand me chop-chop." Mal acted like she was going to toss her the wand but saw that Fairy Godmother was close enough, so she tossed it at her instead. It was then Mal realized that it was her mother's voice she heard, she had been listening, but what had she heard.

After Fairy godmother and the others were frozen, Mal learned the answer to her question, her mother had not only heard, but saw everything.

"Where shall we begin?" Maleficent Looked straight at Mal with distain. "I know by getting rid of this." And like that Ben's ring flew off Mal's finger and onto Fairy Godmothers wand. "Perfect fit." Her mother cracked. Mal's heart broke. She could see Evie out of the corner of her eye and she could see her heart broke for Mal. Maleficent walked around Fairy Godmother and started to mess with Ben's frozen form. "Failing in Love is weak and ridiculous." She said. "It's not what you want." Maleficent said, as usual telling Mal how she should feel.

"You don't know what I want." Mal said finally standing up to her mother for the first time ever. "Mom, have you ever once asked me what I want?" Tears were now flowing down Mal's face, Evie's as well. Jay was slowly maneuvering around Maleficent other side, as Mal kept talking to her. "I am not you."

"Well, obviously!" Maleficent agreed. "I have year and years and year and years of practice being evil. You'll get there."

Feeling the courage of being loved building in her Mal continued to challenge her mother. "I will not!" And I really wish you hadn't gotten there yourself." A wave of sorrow for her mother came over her, and for the first time Mal admitted to loving Ben. "Love is not weak or ridiculous. It's actually really amazing." That love for Ben was surging In Mal and she could feel her magic growing stronger.

"I know one thing young lady you have no room for love in your heart." Maleficent was growing angry and distracted. With that last bit of energy Mal tried a spell on her own. "And now I command Wand to my hand." And with that it flew out of her mother's hand and into her own, surprising not only Mal, but Evie and Carlos as well. Jay was still circling closer to Maleficent.

They disagree over good being stronger than evil, and Maleficent gives up and resorts to her dragon form. First going after Jay for touching her precious scepter, than after the group of them. Evie used the mirror to cause Maleficent to fall, giving Mal time to get into her mother's face. Maleficent started to stare at Mal her eyes glowing brightly. And Mal knew it was no or never to stand up to her mother. She started to recite "The strength of evil is good as none, when stands before four hearts as one." Over and over, each time growing louder. Till finally her mother blinked and poof she turned into a small lizard. The four friends were stunned.

"What just happened?" Carlos asked.

"I have no idea." Admitted Mal as the foursome moved down the aisle.

"Did you do it?' Evie asked, wondering if Mal had cast a spell on her mother.

"I don't know." Mal answered honestly. It was then Fairy Godmother Unfroze and was able to explain what had happened.

As they exited the cathedral fairy godmother called Mal over.

"Mal, dear, thank you, I think, no I know you choose wisely."

"Me too." She said, looking at Ben and her friends. "The broadcast?"
"No idea, we have to review the tapes and see what happened after Maleficent froze everyone."
"Please let me know. Jay, Carlos and Evie have a right to know what their parents saw."
"Of course they do."