Sorry it took such a long time. Finding time to write the story was hard enough, but picking a title was even harder. As promised, Bal (Ben/Mal) is the main focus of this story. But, of course, there is still more of my favorite shipping, CarVie (Carlos/Evie). I hope you all love this. Leave a review.
Love Mixed With Evil
In the Headmistress' office, Mal and Audrey were with Ben and Jane, waiting for Fairy God Mother. Jane was applying some ice on Audrey's left eye. The daughter of Sleeping Beauty shoots a glare at the daughter of Maleficent, who returns with a sheepish smile. It wasn't long before Fairy God Mother finally arrived. She sits down on her desk and begins to ask questions.
"Now, can someone explain what happened?" started Fairy God Mother.
"Show her," said Audrey to Jane. Jane removes the ice bag and reveals a black eye. Fairy God Mother gasped in shock. "It looks bad, doesn't it?" asked Audrey sarcastically.
"What happened?" asked Fairy God Mother.
"She happened," answered Audrey, pointing at Mal. "I came to ask her for a little magical assistance, but she refused. I asked over and over again, and then she started threatening me. I tried to say please, and you know what she did? She swings her fist at my eye, and I think you can see how it turned out."
"Mal, is this true?" asked Fairy God Mother.
"Yes," answered Mal.
Fairy God Mother sighed in disappointment. "Mal, this is the third time this week..."
"Yeah, I know. You can save the part of enumerating my crimes. First, I magically glued Chad to his locker for insulting me. Then I vandalized your daughter for accidentally ruining my artwork," responded Mal. "Did I miss anything?"
"How about the part you gave me a black eye on the day before Picture Day?" exclaimed Audrey.
"Oh, don't be such an Evie. It's just a picture. Nothing you've done a thousand time before," retorted Mal.
Audrey's temper was starting to reach critical and tells Mal, "It's not just any picture. The school picture is how I will be remembered for the rest of my life, and I don't want to be remembered as..."
"...the girl who looks like a one-eyed pirate," joked Mal.
"Why you..." Audrey was about to say something, until...
"Enough!" exclaimed Ben. "When are you two ever going to start getting along?"
"When she stops being like her mother," said Audrey.
Mal's rage builds up and her eyes started glowing green at the sound of those words. Quietly, she said, "Beware for swear, a rainbow shall shine on Audrey's hair," Mal casts the spell and Audrey's hair is decorated in rainbow colors, only she didn't notice.
"Um... Audrey?" stuttered Jane.
"Yes?" asked Audrey.
"Your hair..." mentioned Jane.
"What wrong with it?" asked Audrey. Jane takes out a mirror and holds it in front of Audrey. Audrey's mouth gapes open in shock.
"Mal! You did this!" yelled Audrey.
"Mal! That's enough," said Fairy God Mother. "I'm sorry I have to do this, but..."
"That won't be necessary, Ms. God Mother," interrupted Ben. "I'll take responsibility for Mal."
"If you wish, your majesty," said Fairy God Mother. "You are dismissed."
Mal gets up and was about to leave the office when Audrey stopped her. "Hello? Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, pointing at her hair.
"No," said Mal and left with Ben, not wanting to undo her spell of Audrey's hair.
"This isn't over, Mal! You hear me?!" yelled Audrey.
"Audrey, please, take a deep breath," insisted Jane, trying to keep her friend calm.
Meanwhile, Doug was rereading his recent science lesson all by himself, unaware of Evie watching him from the distance. The two have been growing distant lately, all because Evie keeps ignoring Doug, all because he still believes her heart yearns for Carlos. Evie feels bad about ignoring him, but she decided that if Doug won't take his mind off her feelings, she doesn't want to see or talk to him, yet she is presently eyeballing him. She decided to approach him.
"Hey, Doug," greeted Evie.
"I thought you didn't want to talk to me," mentioned Doug.
"I know, and I'm sorry. It's just that we can't keep spending time if... you know..." said Evie.
"That's okay. I understand," continued Doug.
"Look, Doug, I miss you. I really do, but if you keep thinking about 'that,' how are we supposed to enjoy each other's company?" pointed out Evie.
"Don't look at me," defended Doug.
Evie was about to give up when she saw Carlos, playing with his canine companion, Dude. Seeing Carlos made Evie think back to their kiss a week ago in the castle garden. But, once again, just like all the other times, they just pretended it meant nothing. The only difference is that Evie knows how she truly feels about him, and she knows how he feels about her. And yet, she still shrugs of their kiss like all the other times. Brushing these thoughts aside, Evie thought of a way to fix things with Doug.
"Wait here for a moment," she said to Doug before she rushes towards Carlos. "Hey! Carlos!"
"Oh, hey, Evie," greeted Carlos.
"Listen, I need you to do something for me," said Evie.
"Anything for you," responded Carlos. Evie felt herself blushing at what he said.
"I need you to hang out with Doug after school," said Evie.
"Why?" wondered Carlos.
"I want things to get back to normal between us, but this 'attraction' between you and me, as he calls it, is getting in the way. Maybe if he got to know you, things would be better," answered Evie. "Would you do it? Please?"
"What's in it for me?" asked Carlos.
"Well..." Evie paused, thinking.
"Just kidding. I'll do it," agreed Carlos. "But only if you'll do something for me."
"Anything for you," said Evie, mimicking what he said earlier.
"I need you to watch over Dude," said Carlos. "Can I trust you?"
"Of course you can," responded Evie. "I'm your friend."
"My best friend," added Carlos.
Evie gives Carlos a kiss on the cheek, which makes him blush, before picking up Dude. "So, any instructions?" she asked.
"After school, take him for a walk. If he's hungry, there's a bag of dog food in my apartment. If he starts to smell, don't hesitate to give him a bath. He likes it. That's all," said Carlos.
Evie walks away with Dude while Carlos walks up to Doug.
"Hey, Doug," greeted Carlos. "At the park after school. Will you be there?"
"Um... sure. Why?" questioned Doug.
"Evie wants us to have a little bonding time," answered Carlos before he walks away, giving Doug no time to ask another question.
Another day of school has passed and it's time for the teenagers to roam freely in Auradon. The daughter of Maleficent was heading to the castle, because Ben asked her to meet him there after school. For some reason, Mal decided to arrive in her clothes from the Isle. She rings the doorbell and Mrs. Potts answers the door. The woman gasped at first sight of Mal, mainly because of her clothes, but she lets her in and escorts her to the library, where Ben is.
"Are you sure you want to come here in that, my dear? No offense," asked Mrs. Potts.
"What's the matter? Does it feel like you're inviting Maleficent into the castle?" questioned Mal.
"Why no, not at all," defended Mrs. Potts.
"Do you have to be cautious just because of what I'm wearing?" questioned Mal again, only with anger in her tone, and looking Mrs. Potts straight in the eye. Eventually, Cogsworth and Lumiere just happened to be nearby, able to hear Mal's voice.
Mrs. Potts tried to swallow her fear as she tried to speak. "I'm not being cautious, I'm just saying that..."
Mal interrupted Mrs. Potts when she placed her hand on her neck, choking her. "Don't lie to me!" yelled Mal. Her eyes were starting to glow green.
"Madame, cease this hostility!" exclaimed Lumiere as he and Cogsworth rush to Mrs. Potts' rescue. They pull her away from Mal and shield her as the poor woman tried to recover.
Mal realizes what she did and turns around to avoid eye contact. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breathes, trying to keep herself under control. Seeing a shiny vase nearby, Mal was able to check the state of her eyes. They were normal.
"I'll walk to the library by myself," said Mal as she walked away.
"Are you alright, my dear?" asked Cogsworth.
"I'm fine. I'll live," assured Mrs. Potts.
While walking to the library, Mal thinks about her behavior the past week. What she did to Chad, Jane, and Audrey was thought to be due to her overreaction. She knows it's the darkness coursing through her veins. She tries everyday to keep it under control, but her aggressive and unforgiving personality is making it even more difficult. She always fears what would happen if the darkness completely consumes her. But right now, she has to focus on meeting Ben and hoping some social time with him will keep her mind off her black blood.
Mal found the door to library and, after a deep breath, opens it and enters. Inside, she finds Ben sitting on a table, reading a book. She also noticed the tea set.
"Hey, Benny-Boo!" greeted Mal.
Ben heard Mal and turned his attention away from the book.
"Hey, Mal," greeted Ben as he closed the book. "Please, come on in."
Mal walked to the table and sat down. She looked at the tea and asked Ben, "Strawberry tea?"
"Of course," confirmed Ben.
Mal poured tea from the kettle to her cup and started drinking. Whether it's cake, tea, or the actual fruit, Mal loves strawberry. Ben actually had to double the castle's supply of strawberries since Mal is now living in Auradon.
"So, let me guess. You want to give me a lecture about my behavior?" guessed Mal.
"Sort of. But first I need ask? Why have you been acting like this?" started Ben.
Mal hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to tell Ben the truth, but she couldn't think of a lie that sounds convincing. After a few seconds, she spoke up. "I guess I'm a little cranky because I... haven't been sleeping well."
"Why?" asked Ben.
"I've been seeing my mom in my dreams," said Mal.
"You're worried about her coming back," guessed Ben.
"No, that's not it," said Mal. "Do you remember what happened with those kids?"
"How can I forget?" said Ben, answering Mal's question.
"Turns out my mom saw that. When I came to the Enchanted Lake, she came there to talk to me. She was hoping that incident would motivate me into reverting to my old ways. I tried to make my point about being good very clear, but before she left, she said that being evil is my destiny. It's making me worry if I made the right choice," said Mal.
Ben puts his hand on Mal's and says, "You did make the right choice. You're not your mother. You said that."
"I know, but every time I think about it, I feel something inside me. Something dark," said Mal, still trying not to tell Ben the truth.
"What do you say I take you somewhere special tomorrow?" offered Ben.
"As long as it's not unicorn utopia, I'm in," agreed Mal.
The story returns to the secondary plot where Carlos promised Evie that he'll help her fix thing with Doug. At the park, Carlos was sitting by the lake staring at a bush of roses, one of which was blue, which just brings his mind back to t Evie. He thought about their recent kiss and he is mentally beating himself for not telling her how he feels about her that night. He has had more than one opportunity since his pep talk with Mal, yet he just shrugs off every kiss like it's nothing, and he just agreed to help Evie with Doug.
The latter showed up with his school backpack.
"Nice to see you made it," greeted Carlos. He stands up and notices what Doug was carrying. "And you brought your school bag."
"I have homework to do," said Doug. "So, why did Evie want us to hang out?"
"She wants me to help fix this problem between you two," answered Carlos.
"She's the one who's been ignoring me," pointed out Doug.
"Yes, she is, but she misses you," said Carlos. He picks up a pebble and gives it to Doug. "Here, throw this into the lake. Let's talk."
Doug puts down his backpack and gently tosses it into the lake.
"You call that a throw?" mocked Carlos. He picks up a pebble and throws it with much power. It bounced three times on the water and stopped on land on the other side of the lake. "Now, that's a throw!"
"So, what do we need to talk about?" asked Doug as he threw his pebble, which landed further than the last one.
"Look, I can see why you would think me and Evie are an item, but we're really not," started Carlos as he threw another pebble into the lake. "Sure, maybe I mean to her more than anything else in this world, but she wants you."
"How can you be so sure?" responded Doug.
Carlos throws another pebble in the lake and says, "Before she came to Auradon, Evie has always wanted a prince. When she met you, she realized she doesn't need one to be happy. She wants you by her side. Why else would she ask me for help?"
Doug didn't respond. Carlos continued.
"Let me tell you something. It's true. I'm in love with Evie," he confessed.
"You are?" reacted Doug.
"Yes, my heart beats for her ever since the day we met. But she doesn't seem to feel the same way. She wants you," said Carlos. "Besides, I'm trying to work things out with Jane."
"Well, you two text each other a lot," said Doug.
As he mentioned that, Carlos' phone beeped. He receives a message from Jane. It says, "Can we meet up at my room tonight? I need help with my computer homework." Carlos texts, "Sure."
He turns back to Doug and tells him, "So, what do you say? Will you ask Evie out on a date, and 'not' talk about me and her?"
"I'll try," responded Doug.
Carlos puts his hand on the dwarf's shoulder and says, "But remember. If you hurt Evie, I'll make sure you never smile for the rest of your life."
Doug felt himself shiver with fright at the sound of Carlos' threat. The son of Creulla de Vil's threatening glare turned into a wide smile. He started chuckling and Doug can only pretend to laugh along.
"You really fell for that?" mocked Carlos.
"You sounded convincing," pointed out Doug.
"Well, when you study at the Dragon Hall in the Isle of the Lost, you can learn how to threaten people, whether you mean or not," said Carlos. "Well, I gotta go meet Jane. That girl just can't seem to do anything without help."
Carlos tosses one more pebble into the lake before walking away, leaving Doug alone to think about his talk with the boy with snow-colored hair.
The following day, Ben was riding his motorcycle to the place he promised to take Mal. She was clinging to him blindfolded. He wanted to surprise her. During the ride, he heard snoring and he took a brief look at the back. Mal's head was resting on his shoulder. She was sleeping. Ben believes it's because she hasn't been getting any sleep as of late.
Later, Ben stops the motorcycle at their destination. He takes off his helmet and tells Mal, "Hey, wake up. We're here."
Mal wakes up, rubs her eyes, takes off her helmet, dismounts the motorcycle, and becomes discombobulated at the sight of their destination. They were parked next to a curtain of vines.
"Um, Ben, what are we doing here?" asked a confused Mal.
"Just watch," said Ben. He takes a silver trinket out of his backpack, kneels down on one knee, and places the trinket on a stone plate on the ground. The plate began to light up and the vines magically separate to reveal a hidden passageway. Ben offers his hand to Mal. She takes hold of it and follows him. After walking down a long path, they reached a gate. Ben pressed the button on the speaker and said, "May we come in, please?"
The gate magically opens.
"That's it?" questioned Mal, confused of how easy it was.
"'Please' is only magic word you need," said Ben.
The two enter and Mal was marveled at what she saw. A temple. It was magnificent. The front doors magically open for them and they walk in. Inside, they found themselves meeting one of the most powerful people in Auradon, the Enchantress. The Enchantress who turned Beast into, well, a beast.
"Welcome to my humble home once again, King Ben," greeted the Enchantress.
"Once again? You've been here before?" asked Mal.
"My parents and I come here once a year," explained Ben.
"Once a year? Why?" further asked Mal.
"First, let me introduce the Enchantress," introduced Ben.
"The Enchantress? As in 'The Enchantress' who turned your father into a beast?" questioned Mal, wowed.
"The very one," confirmed the Enchantress.
"I thought where the Enchantress lives is to remain a mystery forever," pointed out Mal.
"True, until my parents united the kingdoms. The Enchantress decided to open herself to the family. She moved here not too long after the unification and gave my parents her location after I was born," explained Ben.
"So, again, why do you come here once a year?" asked Mal again.
"My parents come here to celebrate the Enchantress' birthday. We thought she could use some company," answered Ben.
"And as it turns out, having guests is very delightful," added the Enchantress. She looks at the young king and says, "So, your majesty, what brings you here? My birthday is not until the New Year."
"I came here because I wanted to introduce you to my girlfriend, Mal," explained Ben.
"Yes, I am aware of who she is. Mal, the daughter of the Maleficent, the most ruthless of all villains. Hailing from the Isle of the Lost, she is probably the vilest, most malevolent of the new generation," said the Enchantress with a stern tone, making Mal a little uneasy to look at her in the eye. The Enchantress' lips curved into a smile and she continued. "But best known for her heroism against her own mother at your coronation. She also won their second stand, and saved Auradon from the poker cards the Queen of Hearts call soldiers."
"Since when are you disrespectful?" questioned Mal.
"I maybe a being of great magic, but even I know when to lighten up," said the Enchantress. "I mean, those soldiers never really put up a fight."
"True," agreed Mal. "Although they gave Carlos a hard time."
"Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, #1 victim of bullies, like yourself, from the Isle of the Lost, also well-known for his technologic brilliance and love for chocolate," said the Enchantress.
"Do you always share information about someone whenever someone mentions his or her name?" asked Mal.
"It's my thing," answered the Enchantress.
"Well, what can you say about Evie?" asked Mal.
"Evie, daughter of Evil Queen, self-proclaimed 'fairest of them all,' obsessed with mirrors, and harbors secret feelings for a certain boy," said the Enchantress.
"Carlos," guessed Mal and Ben.
"Of course you know. They kissed right in front of you," said the Enchantress.
"Okay, if we're done, can we get back to why we came here, please?" asked Ben politely.
"Since you said 'please,' alright," responded the Enchantress.
"Mal is struggling to change her ways, and I hope that you can help," explained Ben.
"You need me to give her goodness counseling?" asked the Enchantress.
"Yes. My words don't seem to raise her spirit anymore," said Ben.
"Your words still do, Ben. It's my self-confidence that needs fixing," said Mal.
"I'd be happy to help," said the Enchantress. "But first, I must ask that you leave us be, your majesty."
"What? No! He's staying!" shouted Mal. The Enchantress gave her a questioning look. Realizing her sudden outburst, Mal calmly tells the Enchantress, "It's just... I feel a lot better with Ben around."
"If you insist, your maliciousness," joked the Enchantress.
"Excuse me?" questioned an offended Mal.
"Shall we get started?" suggested the Enchantress, wanting to escape another conversation.
The Enchantress asks them to sit down on the floor as she does too, except she's using her magic to levitate. Mal takes Ben's hand as the Enchantress holds out her hand, asking for Mal's. Mal takes the Enchantress' hand and the Enchantress began feeling Mal's emotions with her magic. Ben watches as a stream of sparkling magic goes back and forth between Mal's hand and the Enchantress. After a while, the Enchantress lets go of Mal's hand, only to suffer a slight headache afterwards.
"You suffer from bad blood," started the Enchantress.
"Well, you know who my mother is," pointed out Mal, still trying to hide her deep dark secret.
"I only have one piece of advice for you. Let your heart guide you," said the Enchantress.
"That's all?" questioned Mal.
"Yes," answered the Enchantress. "Now, if you don't mind, I must rest. Your inner negativity seems to have drained me."
"We will. Thank you," said Ben.
"Anytime," responded the Enchantress as she headed for her bedroom.
Meanwhile, Carlos was in the park taking Dude for a walk when he saw Doug passing by. He saw him walk up to Evie and the two started talking. Reading their lips, Carlos knew Evie said "yes." He guessed that Doug did what he told him to do. Evie and Doug wave goodbye and the son of Dopey left. Evie noticed that Carlos was watching the whole thing and approaches him.
"You did it," started Evie.
"As promised," said Carlos.
"How can I ever thank you?" asked Evie.
"Taking good care of Dude was enough," said Carlos.
"Regardless, I owe you. So much," said Evie, feeling exceptionally grateful for his deed.
"Really, that's not necessary," said Carlos.
"Really, it is," retorted Evie, walking closer until she was only inches to Carlos' face.
The two got lost staring at each other's eyes until they leaned into each other for another kiss. They quickly caught themselves and immediately retreated. They try to avoid eye contact and try to hide the blush on their faces.
"Are we always going to let this happen?" wondered Evie.
"Well, it's not too late to change your mind about who your heart desires," said Carlos in a flirtatious tone.
"Are you crazy? I can do way better than you," mocked Evie.
"You're loss," retorted Carlos.
The two walked away in opposite directions. A few seconds later, Carlos heard his phone beep. He received message. It wasn't from Jane, it was from Evie. It says, "I didn't mean what I said. Any girl would be lucky to have someone like you."
Carlos smiled in response and looked back, looking at Evie with the spark in his eyes. As soon as he turned away, he doesn't notice that Evie looked back and stared at him with the same look. She thought back to their kiss and the blush on her cheeks became even redder. She turns her head away and focuses on getting ready for her date with Doug.
Mal and Ben decided not to return to Auradon and instead hang out for a moment at the lovely field outside of the secret passage. Ben saw that something was bothering Mal so he talks to her.
"Still thinking about what the Enchantress said?" asked Ben.
"'Let your heart guide you?' That's all she has to give?" complained Mal.
Ben speaks up. "What she's saying is..."
"I know what she means, Ben," interrupted Mal. "Listen to my heart and do what it tells me to do, for better or for worse."
"If you knew what she meant, why are you still feeling... edgy?" asked Ben.
Mal turns away from "Ben, my heart is stained with evil blood. I think you know why. Whatever my heart tells me to do, it's never for the better. I always have to use this..." Mal points to her head as she continued. "...to make the right choice. I don't want to commit any more mistakes."
Mal takes a few steps away from Ben and stares at the blue sky. Ben didn't know what to say to her. After some careful thinking, Ben approaches Mal.
"Have you ever heard the story of Queen Elsa?" asked Ben.
"Yeah, the queen who was born with powers over ice and snow. Accidentally almost killed her own sister, Anna. Isolated herself from the world for over a decade until it was time for her to take the throne. Ran away from her own coronation and started an eternal winter. Learned that love was the key to controlling her powers and undid her own curse," responded Mal. "Why?"
"She maybe pure heart, but she also has inner demons," said Ben. "She faces them even today."
"How? She already conquered her fear and got control of her magic years ago," questioned Mal.
"True, but she still fears of the danger of her powers," said Ben.
"How do you know?" asked Mal.
"Because I met her when my family attended the 10th birthday of Kristopher, Princess Anna and Kristoff's son, in Arendelle," answered Ben. "I asked her to retell her story about the eternal winter. She felt uneasy talking about how she harmed her sister and how close she was to taking lives with her powers. Mom could tell that, even now, she is still trying to contain the 'monster' within her. As kind and generous as she is, she has dark side behind that pure heart and she is prone to using her powers to threaten others. She may be good, but she's not all good. What can you say about yourself?"
"I turned over a new leaf, but I still face my inner demons," responded Mal.
"Exactly," said Ben. "Maybe you'll be facing your inner demons for the rest of you life, but that doesn't mean you should listen to them. You're free to choose your own path."
Mal's lips curved into a smile and turned around to look at Ben. He has done everything to make sure Mal stays on the path she promised to the whole kingdom she will take. Even if she reverted to her old ways, he always has faith in her. His kindness, caring personality, and big heart are the reasons Mal fell in love with him in the first place, love spell or no love spell. She never thought about how facing her inner demons affected her relationship with Ben. If she keeps pushing him away and trying to deal with this problem herself, the time will come when she will let the darkness eliminate love from her heart.
"You're never giving on me," said Mal.
"Never," responded Ben.
Mal cups Ben's face with her hand and kisses him on the cheek. Mal turns her face and offers her cheek. Ben plants a kiss. The two stared at each other's eyes and exchanged smiles, relishing the moment.
Later, the two were sitting on the grass enjoying the breeze and the scene.
"You know, we always talk about me and my new path. Why don't we talk about you for a change?" started Mal.
"Okay, about what?" asked Ben.
"How was your childhood?" asked Mal.
"Well, same as most kids here in Auradon. I was raised the best I can be. I learned royal manners pretty much every day. I made friends. Audrey, Chad, Lonnie, Jane, Doug, and many more," answered Ben.
"Tell me something. Were you and Audrey really a couple?" asked Mal.
"Sort of, but it was never working for me. Mother said she was a bit self-centered," answered Ben.
"A bit?" questioned Mal.
"Okay, maybe 'very' would be the appropriate word, but she's my friend. I have no right to disrespect her," said Ben.
"You have no right to be disrespectful, period," remarked Mal.
"Why do you think we have Remedial Goodness class?" pointed out Ben.
"I thought your parents would take care of that," said Mal.
"People like Audrey and Chad are the perfect reason why we have that class. Not all heroes kids grow up completely good," said Ben.
"When are me and my friends going to be moved from Intermediate Goodness class to Remedial Goodness?" asked Mal.
"Senior year," answered Ben.
"Carlos is one year behind me, Evie, and Jay," reminded Mal.
"You, Evie, and Jay at Senior Year. Carlos at Junior Year," corrected Ben. "Just make sure you and your friends do well."
"In class and out in the world, we'll try," responded Mal.
The two both let out a brief chuckle.
"Are you sure you want me to be your queen, Ben?" asked Mal.
Ben holds Mal's hand with both his hands and tells her, "There's no one in the land who is more worthy to rule by my side than you."
"Well, then you're gonna have to give me royalty lessons," said Mal.
"We'll begin next summer," said Ben.
"Good luck," said Mal. "With me."
"If I can help you choose a new path, I'm sure I can help you act like royalty," countered Ben.
"Again, good luck," said Mal, again.
The two stopped talking and looked at the clouds in the air. Mal's attention was caught by one cloud that looks like crossbones and another that looks like a crown. Those clouds reminded her of Carlos and Evie. But she has already decided not to further attempt to fix them together. If they don't want to confess their feelings for each other and would rather find someone else, then it's their choice.
"Do those clouds remind you of some people?" asked Ben, talking about the clouds Mal was just looking at.
"Yeah, I was just thinking about that," answered Mal.
"Do you think we should help them?" wondered Ben.
"No, let them work out their feelings," said Mal. "So, Ben, you told me that after the love spell wore off, you weren't faking your feelings for me. I wanted to ask... why were you interested in me?"
"You're free-spirited, you have good heart underneath all that... 'maliciousness.' No offense. Not to mention you're pretty," answered Ben.
"Love spell or not, you can still tell the difference between pretty and beautiful," quipped Mal.
"Maybe you should put on that make-up on our next date," suggested Ben.
"I don't think so," responded Mal.
"Makes you feel like Evie's doll?" guessed Ben.
"Sort of, but really, I don't like to beautify myself," said Mal.
"You don't need to," added Ben.
"I can say the same for you," remarked Mal.
The two laughed briefly and continued to stare at the clouds. After a few more hours of civil conversation, the sun was beginning to set.
"It's getting late. We should be heading home," said Ben.
"You go on ahead. I can use my transportation spell," said Mal.
"If you insist," replied Ben as he walks over to his motorcycle. He takes a brief look at Mal before departing.
Four hours later, it was nearly bed time for everyone in Auradon. In the dormitory, Evie just returned from her date with Doug. They went to a nearby carnival. The first game they played was the claw machine, where Doug won Evie a stuffed dwarf... on the seventh try. They rode on the roller coaster, sailed into a "Tunnel of Love," and bought some cotton candy. The best part of the date for Evie was that Doug didn't mention a word about her and Carlos.
After changing into her nightwear, Evie was about to go to sleep until something poofed into the room. It was Mal.
"Oh, M! You startled me," reacted Evie.
"Sorry," apologized Mal.
"Where were you?" asked Evie.
"Ben took me to see the Enchantress," answered Mal. "And if you're wondering, yes, that Enchantress."
"Wow! What was she like?" asked Evie.
"Full of wisdom, full of power, not to mention a sense of humor. She called me 'your maliciousness,'" answered Mal.
"Why did Ben take you to see her?" asked Evie.
"To raise my spirit. To help me be the person I promised everyone I would be," answered Mal.
"It's the darkness, isn't it?" guessed Evie.
"Don't worry. I got it under control," assured Mal.
"Well, good night," said Evie as she tucked herself in bed.
"Night, E," said Mal back as she lies down on her bed.
I hope you Bal fans love this. If you don't, well, I tried.