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Enjoy!
Chapter 10: Quiet
Mal was feeling restless. There was so much happening both in and outside of her head that it could be called a miracle that she was still able to keep up. It had been a day since the meeting of the war council where they discussed their plan to fortify Auradon City. In that day, a lot had happened.
Every citizen of Auradon City was to be evacuated to the nearby kingdom of Corona, ruled by Rapunzel and her husband Eugene. However, a number of people had voiced their displeasure, marching up to the soldiers' encampments in droves and demanding to speak to Ben. These people didn't want to evacuate, and made it perfectly clear that they didn't see the villains as that big of a threat. Ben had agreed to meet up with these people, and it had taken almost two hours and a lot of angry shouting to convince these people to finally pack up their things.
Mal was glad that she had been left out of these conversations, as the last thing she needed right now was to confront angry and dissatisfied Auradonians. No, Mal had spent most of her time helping with the preparations for the upcoming battle. Using her magic, she was able to set up tents, haul weaponry and dig trenches far quicker than any ordinary soldier could.
Aside from that, she had spent a lot of time with Lancelot, Yen Sid and Merlin, who had taken it upon themselves to oversee the magical defenses surrounding Auradon City. Fairy Godmother was still unconscious and being cared for up in Arendelle, with Fauna having joined her sisters and Elsa in caring for her. The absence of their most powerful magic user and the wand meant that the defenders would have to slightly improvise. Yen Sid and Merlin were both masterful spellcasters, and their first order of business was to establish a standard barrier. This would at least protect the perimeter from any long-range magical attacks like Solomon's fireballs.
At the very front of the defenses was a large and deep trench, behind which the Auradon soldiers would take their place. Auradon City didn't have a wall or any standard defenses like that, so this would have to make do. The front line was furthermore decorated with spikes and other obstacles, anything to hold of the attackers for as long as possible.
Archer's advice had been heard, and as many axes and war hammers as possible had been distributed amongst the soldiers. Still, over half still fought with swords and spears. The long-range artillery had also been hauled in, and were placed along a special track right behind the defenses where they could be easily transported. Eugene's cavalry had also arrived, meaning that the army was now at full strength.
After all, there was still no way of knowing where Solomon would precisely strike. The defensive line stretched on for miles, so it wasn't as strong as it could possibly be. Still, Mal felt like she knew what Solomon wanted. He didn't want to fight just a small part of the Auradon army. No, he wanted to test his full strength against theirs. Mal had mentioned this to Ben, along with the suggestion that they should maybe instead place all their defenses at a single point in the line and have Solomon confront them there. Ben had considered this, but eventually decided to still keep his soldiers evenly spread out across the line. Mal's ideas had been based on a hunch, so she decided not to pursue the subject any further.
Despite the fact that the soldiers were evenly spread out along the frontline, most of the Auradon army's commanders and military leaders would be placed around the same spot. Adam would take central command, directing the defenses from the center with Yen Sid and Merlin as closest advisers. Mal and Lancelot would also be there as the force's primary magic users. Jay and Lonnie would lead the very front of the frontline, with CJ, Chad and the righteous sons nearby as well. Ben and Archer would be taking charge of the cavalry, meaning that they would largely travel along the frontline before the heavy fighting would start.
Right now, it was almost dusk. Mal felt exhausted, and realized that this night would most likely be the last night before the big battle. The quiet before the storm, so to speak.
The evacuations, despite the protests, had gone relatively smoothly. From the frontline, Mal had a great view of Auradon City's skyline, and for the first time in forever all the buildings looked dark and empty. Only a few people remained, but they would soon leave as well. At this point, basically the city's entire population consisted of soldiers.
Mal was walking through the encampment, which mostly consisted of large army tents. In the distance, she was barely able to make out the spikes and other obstacles along the very front of the frontline. Soldiers greeted and saluted her when she walked past, but Mal still didn't really know how to properly respond to them. Most of these soldiers hadn't been there during the battle of Belle's Harbor, and they seemed cool and almost jovial at the prospect of a large battle. Mal of course couldn't blame them for their ignorance, nor could she try to shake them up and maybe cause a panic by telling them what threats actually awaited them.
"Hey there, stranger." A voice greeted her.
Deep in thought, Mal had not noticed Carlos until she was standing right in front of him. "Oh, hey Carlos…"
"You good?" He asked, also glancing at the soldiers closest to them.
"Yeah, just a little… Ehm…" Mal mumbled.
"Nervous? That'd be an understatement." Carlos acknowledged.
"It's more a, ehm, cautious feeling…" Mal argued. "One the one hand, I like to believe we're gonna win tomorrow. On the other, I don't want to get my hopes up and jinx the entire thing."
"Yeah, I can't help with that." Carlos shrugged, causing Mal to smirk. "But… You might be happy to know that I've improved some of the catapults. Who knows? It might give us an edge…"
"You and your brain occasionally come in handy." Mal smiled, ruffling Carlos' hair as the two started walking towards Mal and Ben's tent.
"It's the least I can do. I'm not a soldier like Jay after all." Carlos replied.
"Where is Jay? I haven't seen him all day…" Mal inquired.
"He and Lonnie have been with the troops the entire day, training and preparing." Carlos answered.
"That's good. Ben told me they're both gonna be at the frontline tomorrow." Mal responded.
"Well, better them than most." Carlos nodded. "I'm gonna stay with the artillery for the most part."
"Good. That's where we'll need you." Mal grinned.
"What about you?" Carlos asked. "Will you be with Ben?"
"No. Ben and Archer are taking charge of the cavalry." Mal explained. "And since I've never even ridden a horse, that didn't seem like the smartest plan. I'm gonna be with Adam, Lance and Yen Sid near the frontline. We'll direct the army and it'll give me a good opportunity to see when and how to best use my powers."
"You gonna burn them all to a crisp?" Carlos inquired with a smirk.
"God knows I want to." Mal replied with an identical smirk. "And, ehm, where's Jane, actually?"
"With her mother in Arendelle…" Carlos answered, a little somber this time. "On the one hand I'm glad about that, you know? This way I know she's out of harm's way…"
"I totally understand." Mal nodded, thinking about Ben. "I thought maybe she was helping with the evacuation…"
"She wanted to, but she also wanted to be near her mother. Still, we have Doug, Audrey, Freddie and Jordan helping to get the people out. I think they're in good hands." Carlos reasoned.
"True. Very true." Mal nodded. "It is very good to know that they're all safe."
"Yeah, and… Oh, it looks like you have some company…" Carlos began, before spotting the person waiting in front of Mal's tent. It was Evie.
"Can I speak to you alone for a moment?" Evie asked Mal. She was wide-eyed and seemed a little on edge.
"Ehm, sure…" Mal replied a little uncertain.
Carlos quickly looked between the girls, but then seemingly decided to just stay out of it. "Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."
Mal waved him goodbye, but barely had a second before Evie grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the tent. It was relatively large, which was somewhat fitting given that Ben was king and they shared the tent. "Evie? What's the matter?" Mal asked as soon as the flap closed and they were out of everyone's earshot.
"I, ehm… There's… Ehm…" Evie stammered, her eyes shooting from left to right without focusing on anything.
"Evie, calm down." Mal told her in a direct tone as she ushered her to the closest chair.
Evie dropped down onto the seat and immediately placed her head in her hands. She wasn't crying, but she did seem to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"Evie, what's wrong?" Mal asked, genuinely worried.
Evie still didn't answer, but did sit up straight and started wiggling in her seat. She opened her mouth a couple of times, but no sound escaped.
"Evie, if you don't start talking soon, I'm gonna get a doctor." Mal went on, crossing her arms.
Evie made one more small yelping sound, wiggled on her seat a little more, and then abruptly held up her hand for Mal to see.
Mal didn't get it right away, and first kept staring at Evie's face. Her eyes then moved to Evie's hand, which seemed fine at first glance. It was only after multiple agonizing seconds that Mal noticed a ring she had never seen on Evie's finger before. It was relatively small, made of gold, with a blue diamond in the middle. Mal's thoughts slowed down for a moment as she realized what this meant.
"No…" She mumbled, her eyes alternating between looking at Evie's face and her hand. "No!"
"Doug asked me to marry him…" Evie confirmed with a small voice.
Mal kept looking at both Evie's hand and eyes, her own eyes wide and her mouth hanging wide open.
"I said yes…" Evie went on, still with that uncharacteristically soft voice.
It was as if fireworks were suddenly lit in Mal's head. This was one hell of an information bomb to just simply drop on someone. Evie was getting married!? The initial surprise quickly made way for pure happiness and euphoria though. Evie was getting married! That was probably the best news Mal had heard in a long while. She wanted to jump and dance and sing…
But… Why did Evie look so somber? Why did she look so distraught?
"Evie?" Mal asked softly. "What's the matter? I mean, that's amazing news…"
"Is it?" Evie responded, her eyes filled with tears. "Is it!? We're in the middle of a war, a-and I'm here thinking about getting married!"
"Evie…" Mal mumbled, realizing what her best friend was going through. After all, Mal had been and was still going through a similar thing with Ben. "Evie, don't let that bother you, okay? This is good news… Great news, even."
"B-but I can't let this distract me, right? Oh god… What if this was all just a huge mistake…" Evie groaned, thumping her feet on the ground.
"Evie, don't think like that!" Mal reprimanded her as she grabbed her by the shoulders. "I mean, you're right… We are in a war… But this is a good thing, alright? We need every good thing we can get right now!"
Now Evie did start sobbing, trying to frantically wipe the tears from her eyes. "D-do you actually believe that?"
"Of course!" Mal insisted, saddened by the thought that Evie felt so conflicted about what was supposed to be the happiest moment of her life. "E, this is great! I am so happy for you… Just don't, ehm, don't worry… It's all gonna be okay…"
"But what if it isn't?" Evie practically whispered. "What if we'll all be dead by tomorrow? I-I will cause Doug so much pain… I don't know how to live with that…"
Mal was silenced for a second, feeling incredible compassion for her best friend at the moment. Even at this moment, Evie was caring more about Doug's feelings possibly getting hurt than her own freaking life.
"I love him so much, M…." Evie went on, raising her beautiful tear-stained face. "And I want this so much… B-but I am also just so scared… What if I lose him? What if he loses me?"
"Evie! Stop!" Mal found her voice again and reprimanded Evie with the necessary volume.
This apparently somewhat shocked Evie, but did manage to silence her.
"You can't keep feeling like this." Mal began, trying to sound both stern and compassionate. "Take it from me, okay? I can't truly speak for you, alright, but I know a thing or two about being afraid to lose the one you love…"
Evie's eyes widened more with every word Mal said, and she didn't interrupt her.
"I've had to say goodbye to Ben far too many times for my liking, and I often had to wonder if I'd ever see him again. It was hard… Of course it was… But eventually I realized that it just makes every second all the more precious… If you love someone, and I mean truly love someone, then don't let anything get in the way of that." Mal spoke, trying to remember all the motivational speeches Ben had ever given her over the years.
"But we could die…" Evie said in a small voice, suddenly appearing so fragile that it almost made Mal tear up.
"We all die someday. Don't worry about it." Mal replied, realizing she might have sounded a little blunt. "But, again, don't let that stop you!"
Evie was still twiddling her thumbs, and her lips kept moving without any sound escaping.
"E, you love Doug, and that's amazing! So, just go out there, love him and enjoy every possible second with him. If you want to get married, then you will get married…" Mal told her.
"B-but… But the war…" Evie murmured.
"Screw the war!" Mal spat, making an obscene hand gesture. "E, from what I know, the love you and Doug share is far stronger than this useless fucking war."
"Mal!" Evie exclaimed, this outburst having finally awoken her from her murmuring.
"I'm serious!" Mal emphasized. "Okay, E, how about this? I am hereby going to fucking swear to get both you and Doug out of this war alive and in one piece, okay?"
"Mal?" Evie questioned, but Mal didn't stop.
"There are bare few things I can definitely do right now, but one of them will be keeping you safe, got it? So, you just stop worrying about maybe dying tomorrow, because I will be at your side throughout all of this to make sure you get out alive!"
"Mal, you can't do that!" Evie complained, standing up from her chair and whipping her long blue hair over her shoulder. "Don't do that!"
"You leave me no choice!" Mal countered. "Face it! You're stuck with me!"
"This is serious, Mal!" Evie shouted. "I am really freaking out! I-I don't know what to do…"
"There's only one thing we can do." Mal replied, taking on a more serious tone. "We have to fight… Probably tomorrow… I can't promise anything, except that I will give it my all to try and make sure everyone gets out of there alive and unharmed…"
Evie sighed heavily. "How did you do it? How did you watch Ben head out into war? And how did he handle seeing you get hurt all those times?"
Mal took a deep breath. This was truly not an easy subject to discuss, even with someone like Evie. "It's not easy… It never is… Believe me, I always hated watching Ben leave, and he always told me how scared he was to lose me… But… But these things just happen to people like us, okay? We're the sorry sons of bitches who keep getting put in these ridiculously dangerous situations through no fault of our own… We have no choice but to deal with all these things… What's most important is how we deal with the love that's still available to us… We can choose to love, and risk getting hurt, or we can choose not to love and get hurt so much more because of that…"
Evie's breathing steadied somewhat, and she at least stopped crying.
"Yes, we are knee deep in shit right now, but don't let that stop you from doing the things you want to do. If you love Doug and you want to marry him, then freaking do it! And don't forget to make it as much of a spectacle as you want it to be…" Mal went on.
This made Evie grin for the first time since they entered the tent.
"I want you to be happy, E… And you deserve to be happy…So, do you want to marry Doug?" Mal asked, trying to sound calm and understanding.
"Yes!" Evie resolutely answered, furrowing her brow.
"Then you'll get to…" Mal smiled. "First we toss Solomon back into the abyss, and then we'll plan your marriage…"
"First we have to plan yours." Evie corrected her. "I was your maid of honor before I became a bride-to-be…"
"Oh yeah…" Mal mumbled, momentarily having forgotten that she too was planning to get married.
"Speaking of…" Evie carefully exhaled, also removing some stray strands of hair from her face. "You will be my maid of honor."
"What? I don't get a choice?" Mal asked, smirking softly. She had of course anticipated this question.
"No. After everything I've done and will be doing for you, I think this is quite a reasonable request, no?" Evie retorted, crossing her arms and suddenly seeming very sassy.
"I would have said yes, you know?" Mal countered. "I just like to be given a choice."
Right then, Evie sprang up, took a tight grasp of Mal's hands and started jumping up and down. "Oh my god, I'm getting married!" She squealed.
Mal just had to laugh while Evie pulled her along. This was the reaction Mal had always anticipated from her best friend after the announcement of her engagement. It made her feel warm and happy inside… Mostly because there had been so very little to be happy about in the past months.
"Evie! E-Evie!" Mal tried to calm her down without much success. "Evie! What do we tell the others?"
Evie stopped jumping around, though her incredibly contagious smile did not disappear from her face. After a few deep breaths, she finally answered. "Let's, ehm… Let's keep it on the down low for now, okay? I mean… We have a war to fight, right? This hardly seems like the right time to, ehm, break the news…"
"That's your choice, and I'll respect it." Mal replied.
"Ben can know though!" Evie quickly told her. "I mean, you can tell him if you want…"
"Jay and Carlos?" Mal inquired.
"They, ehm…" Evie pondered, biting her lip. "Maybe later… I'll tell them if I run into them… But, ehm, no one else, okay?"
"Sure." Mal smiled, taking a hold of Evie's hands and softly squeezing them.
Evie, in turn, was preening happily, finally acting as giddy as Mal would have expected her to. She was shaking, but from excitement more than fear or unease.
"I'm guessing you want to go back to him, don't you?" Mal asked with a smirk.
"Yes." Evie answered almost apologetically, basically trembling as she shook Mal's hands back and forth.
"Then go…" Mal grinned. "I won't stop you."
Evie again squealed, pulling Mal into a strong hug that felt as though she was crushing her shoulders.
"Evie! Evie! Please!" Mal pleaded, squirming in her friend's grip.
"Thank you so much, M!" Evie told her, still smiling broadly as she let her go. Her eyes were glimmering, but the tears from before were still clearly visible.
Mal knew that there was still so much to discuss about their particular situation, but she also didn't want to rain on Evie's parade any more than was absolutely necessary. She deserved this moment of happiness, even with their possible doom at the horizon.
"Now go." Mal said, taking a hold of Evie's hands again. "Be with him, but also try to get a good night's sleep. You'll need your energy tomorrow."
Evie nodded, trying to repress both her broad smile and reappearing tears.
"Go." Mal smiled, gesturing for the tent's exit.
Evie nodded again, pulled Mal into one more strong hug, and then hurried out the tent, leaving a thoughtful Mal alone.
Mal slowly made her way to the large bed in the middle of the tent and plopped down onto it. She suddenly felt exhausted, which did have a little to do with the physically exhausting day she'd had, but Evie's announcement was arguably the main cause.
Things had been so intense lately, with the war and all, and Mal had barely even thought about any issues of her old regular life for the duration of this period of time. The thought of planning a wedding seemed like an insane idea at the moment, but Mal also realized that the precise reason why she and her friends were fighting this war was to give them and other people the chance to keep living their regular lives.
Evie had definitely been stressed out about this, no matter how much she'd been downplaying her panic. Still, Mal was happy to see that Evie was able to set aside these worries and be genuinely hopeful about her future.
Mal looked at her phone and saw that it was almost midnight. It would probably be wise to get to sleep and be well-rested for tomorrow's impending battle. Ben was probably still discussing strategies and other battle plans with his officers, but he would undoubtedly join her some time during the night.
Still deep in thought, Mal began removing her boots and massaged her feet a little. All around her, she could still hear the sounds of the military camp. Dozens of soldiers were laughing, murmuring or loudly discussing things. Aside from that, there was the occasional whirring of machinery, the neighing of horses or the rumbling of vehicles. All of this weirdly calmed Mal. She had grown up in a violent and hostile environment, and was thus pretty much used to all the tension, but she was also pleasantly surprised at the almost casual attitudes of most of the soldiers. Most of the Auradonians Mal had encountered throughout the years were deadly afraid of the isle and everything from it, but these soldiers seemed almost indifferent at the prospect of fighting the kingdom's greatest ever threat.
Then again, it could just be that they were underestimating Solomon, like she herself and so many others had done. Mal just hoped that their efforts tomorrow would be enough to stave off their total annihilation.
"Uhm, hello?" A voice spoke up from behind Mal, startling her.
She jumped up from her bed and spun around, ready to defend herself from any would-be assailants. It was only after taking several quick breaths that she realized it was CJ who had entered her tent.
"C-CJ?" Mal stammered, quickly calming down but also feeling annoyed. "Couldn't you knock or something?"
CJ, who had jumped a little at Mal's outburst, now cocked an eyebrow as she walked further into the tent. "There's no door… How the hell do I knock?" She asked in a sassy tone.
"What do you want?" Mal countered brusquely. Even after CJ had been allowed into Auradon, the two of them hadn't spent that much time with each other and were still on somewhat uneasy terms.
"Good evening to you too." CJ sneered, crossing her arms. "I just need to quickly show you something and then I'll be out of your hair."
"What is it?" Mal inquired, mirroring CJ's pose.
CJ took something out of her pocket and threw it at Mal, who caught it. She looked at the item, and saw that it was some sort of totem with a piece of string tied to it. She couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"What's this supposed to be? Have you been crafting amateur jewelry?" Mal asked with a sarcastic snicker.
"Of course not." CJ scoffed. "It's an amulet that Solomon had. It's supposed to render magical abilities useless to anyone who wears it."
"What? For real?" Mal questioned, looking at the amulet more intently.
"Yep. Lord dickhead was planning on using it on you, but was evidently not given the chance." CJ explained.
"You, what?" Mal went on, feeling a stab of annoyance. "You wanted to use it on me?"
"But we didn't…" CJ protested, shrugging slightly. "Look, I'm giving it to you now because I thought that, you know, you could use it… Maybe use it on Solomon… Please do that."
"Why are you only giving it to me now?" Mal inquired, holding up the amulet.
"To be honest, I totally forgot I had it…" CJ shrugged, also rolling her eyes. "I just went through all my things and found it, so I immediately brought it to you."
"Well… Okay…" Mal murmured, alternating between looking at the amulet and CJ. "So, how does it work?"
"I think you just need to put it around his neck…" CJ answered, shuffling a little on her feet. "I don't know if Solomon told the truth, but he said that's all it takes to take away someone's magical abilities…"
"Damn…" Mal smirked. "Alright, ehm… Thanks for that, CJ…"
"Sure, sure…" CJ mumbled in reply. "I mean, it's nothing… What else was I supposed to do with that thing?"
"It'll come in handy. I'm sure of it." Mal smiled. She then realized who she was talking to, and the smile quickly disappeared from her face.
CJ's look had also soured a little, and her shuffling began to look a little erratic.
"So, ehm, how are you feeling about tomorrow?" Mal asked after a short period of quiet.
"I, ehm…" CJ mumbled, heavily sighing a few times. "Scared, I think… I'm not sure… It all just feels a little numb…"
"That's normal." Mal replied. "I am scared too. But I also know that we can beat him, don't you?"
"It's more that I 'want' to beat his sorry ass into the ground." CJ snorted, causing Mal to chuckle. "But honestly, Mal, I always took you for a realist. You know how dangerous and deranged Solomon is, so you should also know that he must still have some tricks up his sleeve. What if we don't win?"
"We'll keep fighting until we do." Mal retorted. "We don't have a choice, so we might as well make the best of it, right?"
CJ made a soft scoffing noise and rolled her eyes. "That has to be the most princessy thing you've ever said…"
Mal felt her anger rise. "CJ, I want to fight for what I love! The things we love make us stronger! Do you honestly not get that yet?"
CJ's look turned even more doubtful and condescending. "That's Auradon nonsense and you know it."
Mal balled her fists, her anger flaring rapidly and without warning. "CJ! What the hell is wrong with you!? Don't you want to win? Don't you want a happy life here?"
"I just don't like getting my hopes up." CJ answered, giving Mal a mocking look. "You saying that fighting for what we love gives us an edge sounds like wishful thinking…"
"Archer disagrees, believe me." Mal retorted. "When he's out there fighting tomorrow, he will be thinking of you."
CJ immediately started blushing uncontrollably, and her eyes widened in a mix of shock and objection. "H-he… Y-you don't… You don't get to…"
"What? You don't agree? I think it's quite obvious with the way he keeps looking at you…" Mal teased, enjoying the rise she was getting out of CJ.
CJ kept looking at Mal for a few more furious seconds, when the tent flap opened and Ben suddenly walked in.
"Oh… Hey…" He greeted the two girls a little hesitantly. "D-did I interrupt something?"
"I was just leaving." CJ curtly replied before turning around and walking out, doing her best to not show the red color still present on her cheeks to Ben.
Ben appeared to be somewhat taken aback by CJ's quick exit, and looked at Mal for answers.
"It's nothing. Just a little bantering between old rivals." Mal shrugged, approaching Ben.
"I hope the hatchet is still buried…" Ben mumbled, taking a second to quickly kiss Mal on the lips before walking further into the tent and taking off his boots.
"Yeah, but she's still a pain." Mal smirked, plopping down on the bed again.
"So, what did she want?" Ben inquired, letting himself fall down next to Mal.
"She came to hand something over, but old habits die hard and we just needed to let off some steam…" Mal smiled, running one of her hands through Ben's hair.
"So you start squabbling again? I'm not surprised." Ben grinned, reaching over to stroke Mal's shoulder.
"We just have different views on our chances tomorrow… CJ's view is, ehm, a little bleak…" Mal told Ben, trying to sound indifferent.
"And you tried to change her mind? How progressive…" Ben replied.
"I think we can win." Mal admitted. "And in some way, he have to win… There's no alternative, so why think bad thoughts?"
"Nicely said." Ben grinned, though Mal did see a hint of fear in his eyes.
"So, ehm, any news?" Mal asked, not really knowing what else to say. "Any news from the frontline?"
"We've sent out more scouts to accurately determine when and where they'll strike…" Ben began to explain. "Otherwise we're almost completely prepared. The last of the barricades are being built as we speak, the rest of the kingdoms are in the midst of mobilizing their armies, and we have sufficiently equipped every soldier as far as I know…"
Mal nodded along, but couldn't really be all that interested after the previous days of constant deliberating and military meetings. In a sense, she was burned out. But while she did feel like she wouldn't be able to sit through one more talk with Auradon's rulers, she felt almost eager to be able to jump into battle again and unleash some of her pent-up rage.
"I'm boring you, aren't I?" Ben inquired with a grin.
"What?" Mal responded, trying to focus her mind. "Of course not…"
"You're still a bad liar." Ben smirked, stretching his arms a little. "How are you feeling?"
"Anxious." Mal admitted.
"Understandable." Ben nodded. "And I appreciate your honesty…"
"I want this to be over." Mal confessed, leaning into Ben.
"Me too." Ben replied, taking her into his arms. "There's so much we still need to do…"
"You just want to get married." Mal accused him with a teasing smile. She then suddenly remembered something. "Hey, want to hear something incredible?"
"Ehm, sure…" Ben responded, sounding only a little hesitant.
"Doug proposed to Evie." Mal plainly told him, not feeling like she needed to lead him on.
"What!? For real!?" Ben exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
Mal nodded, a broad grin appearing on her face. "Yep. And she said yes…"
"Oh my god! Holy shit!" Ben went on, seemingly ecstatic.
"Ben!" Mal reprimanded him. This had to be one of the first times she'd ever heard him swear.
"B-but… That's huge! Are you serious? W-what did she say?" Ben continued, nearly bouncing up and down.
"Yes, did you not hear me!?" Mal replied, feeling giddy as she watched Ben's excitement.
"That's amazing!" Ben gushed. "Oh, I can't wait to see them… I need to congratulate them…"
"You can wait until tomorrow." Mal told him. "I made Evie leave and spend the rest of the night with Doug. They deserve that…"
"Good job… Really good job…" Ben nodded, still with that contagious smile. "God, this is amazing…"
"You'll get your chance to congratulate them tomorrow… I'd do it before the battle though…" Mal advised.
This somewhat wiped the smile from Ben's face, but he tried to keep up his confident façade. "I'll definitely do that…"
"You look tired…" Mal then whispered, running a hand over Ben's cheek and examining the heavy bags under his eyes. "We had a long day… And it'll be a much longer one tomorrow…"
"This could be our last night…" Ben casually mentioned. "It's kind of exciting… Some could even call it romantic…"
"Only idiots like you would call it romantic…" Mal reprimanded him, though she did give him a playful peck on the lips.
Ben raised his hand to Mal's face and started to gently stroke her cheek and then her hair. "You mean everything to me, you know?"
Mal gave a tearful smile, and leaned in for yet another kiss. They stayed in that position for what was probably a lot longer than either of them had originally planned. Their relatively innocent kissing turned to a full-on make out session, with Mal eventually taking the initiative and rolling on top of Ben.
"You said this could be our last night, right?" She panted, reaching for the hem of Ben's shirt.
"Yeah…" Ben breathlessly replied, unable to really do anything other than place his hands on Mal's hips.
"Let's make it count then…" Mal grinned as she eagerly threw herself at Ben again.
CJ hastily stomped through the military encampment. The conversation she'd had with Mal was still fresh on her mind, and that annoyed her to no end.
It was around midnight, and most soldiers had already opted to get an early night's rest. The ones that were still up and out mostly eyed her suspiciously. CJ couldn't care less about them at the moment thought, and decided to keep her eyes forward and not even bother to confront them.
'What the hell does Mal know about anything anyway?' She thought to herself in a grumpy voice. Little miss perfect always acted like she was above everyone else… Like she knew everything and all of us who are beneath her should simply shut up and listen…
CJ wasn't too mad about Mal's notion that they were gonna win tomorrow. After all, this proclamation of hers was born from hope and confidence. CJ unwillingly respected her somewhat for this, but also realized that that sort of wishful thinking did not truly add anything to any fighting force. No, it was Mal's outrageous claim that the 'power of love' would guide them to victory that grinded her gears…
CJ had never loved anyone… Not truly anyway… In all her years of fearing for her life on the isle, the power of love had never helped her win a fight. No, in CJ's opinion, all anyone needed was training, a cool head, quick reflexes and a sharp sword. Whenever CJ had been in a tight spot, it had been these attributes that'd gotten her out, not some hopeless longing along with a feeling she hadn't ever felt before.
Quickening her pace, CJ passed more and more tents. She heard the soldiers inside murmur and whisper. They didn't sound afraid, but they were also not openly preaching about the insane idea that love would carry them to victory.
A few minutes later, CJ had finally reached the tent she'd been looking for. It was a little larger than most others, and there was a crest of a red dragon with two crossed swords adorning the side. Again, there was no door, but CJ did not feel the need to announce herself anyway as she entered.
"CJ? Hey…" Archer greeted her as she stepped into the tent. He was dressed for bed, wearing nothing but a loose shirt and some sweatpants. He did not seem surprised or alerted by her in the slightest, which was huge difference from how Mal had reacted.
"Do you think we're gonna win tomorrow?" CJ asked straight to the point as she stood in the middle of the tent and crossed her arms.
"Ehm… Yes… I have faith in our ability to succeed." Archer answered, approaching her a little hesitantly.
CJ noticed from his body language that he wasn't sure how to greet her. She felt the same way. On the one hand, she wanted to hug him and feel his body against hers, but on the other, she really wanted some answers and reassurance first.
"Why?" She blurted out. "Why do you think we'll win?"
"Ehm… Let's see…" Archer pondered, breathing out for a second. "We have the home advantage… We are better prepared for their undead forces… We have all the other kingdoms backing us up… And, ehm, good tends to prevail in this world…"
CJ felt somewhat reassured by his answer. "Okay… Thanks for that…"
"What?" Archer asked in a perplexed tone. "You come barging in here just to ask 'that' question?"
"It's just… Well… You know, just forget it…" CJ muttered, already turning around to leave again.
"Hey, wait a minute…" Archer halted her, holding her by the shoulder. "What's wrong? Don't I even get a kiss goodnight?"
CJ suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to hit Archer in the face, but one look into his gorgeous blue eyes suppressed that insane impulse, and she relaxed a little. "Nothing's wrong, I guess… Aside from the obvious, I mean… It's just… I just went to see Mal…"
"About that amulet? What'd she say?" Archer inquired, directing CJ to sit down on the bed next to him.
"Nothing… I mean, nothing that interesting… I think she appreciated it though…" CJ recalled as she plopped down on the soft mattrass.
"So, what's the matter?" Archer pressed on, moving his hand down and rubbing small circles on her back.
This comforted CJ, and she took a few deep breaths before answering. "She, ehm… She just said some things… I'm kinda having trouble wrapping my head around some of them…"
"What'd she say?" Archer asked. "If you don't mind me asking…"
"I don't…" CJ shrugged. "But I know for a fact you're gonna agree with her…"
"Oh…" Archer mumbled. "Now I'm more interested in what she precisely told you."
"Archer, have you ever loved? I mean, truly loved?" CJ asked him straight to the point.
A small blush appeared on Archer's cheeks, which CJ would have normally enjoyed, but this was a serious matter to her, and she didn't mock him by pointing it out.
"I mean…" He began, obviously choosing his words carefully. "Yes… I love my parents… I love my friends… I love my kingdom and my country…"
"And you would fight for them?" CJ added.
"I'd die for them." Archer replied without a moment's hesitation, staring at CJ with that steely gaze of his.
"Because you love them?" CJ went on.
"Yes." Archer nodded.
There was a small pause, where CJ contemplated whether or not she wanted to ask her next question. Eventually, the silence became too unbearable for her, and she just blurted out the words. "Do you think you have a bigger chance of winning when you love what you're fighting for?"
Archer raised his eyebrows. "That's what's got you this worked up? Yes! If you truly love what you're fighting for, you stand a bigger chance of winning."
"See! I knew it!" CJ snapped, immediately jumping up and grumpily crossing her arms. "Mal said the same thing, but I don't get it! How does 'love' make you stronger? How does 'love' make it easier to defeat your enemies?"
"It doesn't do any of those things." Archer admitted, standing up from his bed. "But don't we always fight for something we love?"
"I've never loved anything." CJ said, her voice dripping with contempt.
Archer sighed, suddenly seeming incredibly compassionate. "Then why have you ever fought? Tell me! Why even get out of bed in the morning? Why do anything?"
"I… I… What?" CJ stammered, taking a second to process Archer's words.
"Why do anything at all? What's the point of living? Tell me!" Archer pressed on. He was trying to sound agitated, but CJ could discern that he wasn't truly angry with her.
"Because that's just what we do…" CJ shrugged, looking away. "We live… We breathe… We work… And so on… That's just what we do…"
"Because?" Archer inquired, trying to goad her into giving the answer he wanted from her.
Now it was CJ's turn to get annoyed. "What? Why do we keep on living? Because otherwise we'd die! And dying sucks, if you didn't know…"
"So, in other words…" Archer interjected, twiddling his thumbs. "You live because you love to live?"
"What!? I mean… No… T-that's just you twisting my words!" CJ sneered. "I don't love living… It's just a better alternative to dying… Living sucks ass…"
"But you'd still rather live than die, right?" Archer went on, putting on a soft tone that would be more applicable when talking to a toddler.
"Ugh… Yes…" CJ hesitantly admitted, shuffling back and again letting herself drop down on the bed.
"Because life has at least some good things, right? Those are the things we fight for…" Archer stated with a metaphorical flourish. He grinned, like what he just said tied up every loose end in their conversation.
CJ had in the meantime just pulled up her eyebrows. "So, what am I supposed to fight for in this doomed life of mine?"
"I don't know. That's up to you." Archer told her. "I fight for the good of the people… I fight to keep my friends safe… I fight for my kingdom, and my family… But I'd also fight for you…"
This made CJ blush, and she turned her head away in shame. It annoyed her that Mal had predicted these precise words from Archer.
"Did you hear me?" Archer asked. "I'd fight for you, CJ… I care about you…"
"Shut up…" CJ mumbled, staring at her feet.
"No." Archer plainly stated. "Did we not already sort of admit that we liked each other? I have no problem telling you that I will fight for you tomorrow."
"But how does that help?" CJ asked in an almost pleading tone, finally turning her head to look at Archer again. "How will it help us win? What if we still lose?"
Archer kept silent for a moment, also biting his lip a little. "Someone once told me…" He eventually began. "That it's better to have loved and lost, than to not have loved at all… The whole point I'm trying to make is that love is a beautiful thing… Never be afraid to love, okay? Whatever happens tomorrow, I will not stop thinking of and caring for the people I hold dear… I will not stop caring about you, even with a terrifyingly painful death at the horizon…"
CJ wanted to scoff and slap Archer in his stupid, handsome face, but for one reason or another she didn't do either. He was so adamant in his believes, and they were so pure that CJ couldn't bring herself to try and burst his bubble again. Why was she arguing over this anyway? Mal and Archer, and who knew how many more Auradonians held on to this stupidly hopeful belief? How many truly thought that the 'power of love' could help them win this war?
But who was CJ to try and dissuade them from holding on to hope? Who was she to tell them to stop loving and instead just surrender to the empty hopelessness that apparently only she could see in their future? What was the actual harm in convincing one's self that everything would turn out okay? Especially if this was done through means of loving and caring. Was CJ truly that stubborn that she would try to make others feel worse, only because she didn't understand their motivations?
"Maybe I'm just scared…" CJ mumbled, her eyes not leaving Archer's.
"We're all scared." Archer acknowledged, resuming his duty of rubbing small circles on her back.
"But this is different for me…" CJ began to explain. "I've been scared before, but that was always just for myself. I've been scared to get hurt, or for something else to happen to me… I've never had anyone I cared for… But now…"
Archer's eyebrows were raised, and he seemingly waited for CJ to finish that sentence with much anticipation.
"Now there's people who say they care about me…" CJ finished her sentence. She looked away from Archer for a second to hide her blush. He didn't want him to know that that was not the end she had originally thought of for that sentence.
"And now you're scared for, ehm, them… Is that right?" Archer asked. "You're scared 'they' might get hurt?"
CJ nodded, turning to look at Archer again.
"Well, that sounds like a form of love to me… And if you ask me, which you kind of were, I have a feeling you would fight harder if it meant that these people would make it out alive tomorrow, right?" He inquired.
"Yes… I guess…" CJ sighed, acknowledging to herself she would most likely have to admit that she was wrong.
"So, there…" Archer concluded, patting her on her shoulder. "You know how to care for people who care for you, and you largely got to that conclusion by yourself… I'm proud of you…"
CJ unwillingly smiled. She knew that Archer spun her words to make it look like she did it all herself, but she appreciated his supposed helpfulness nonetheless. "Thanks… I guess…" She murmured, softly elbowing Archer in his side.
"You have to realize that there are other people than just me on our side who'll fight for you. We're big on showing love for one another here in Auradon…" Archer went on.
CJ felt an immense warmth spread through her chest. She kept looking intently at Archer, who softly grinned in return. The fact that he was still here, that he hadn't abandoned her after all the promises he'd made, meant the world to her. CJ didn't like to admit it, to herself or anyone else, but she too had really grown to care for him.
"Right now I only see you." CJ told Archer, staring at him more confidently. "And that's good enough for me…"
Now it was Archer's turn to blush, which amused CJ. "We, ehm… We should probably get to bed… It's a, ehm, it's a big day tomorrow…" He stammered, though he made no move to stand up or make CJ stand up.
"Can I not stay a little longer?" CJ asked in a soft tone. "It is the last night before a battle…"
"And what are you insinuating with that?" Archer asked, his gaze moving from her eyes, to her body, to the hand he had taken in his own.
"That I don't want to go to sleep yet…" CJ practically whispered as she slowly moved to her side and draped one of her legs over both of Archer's.
"CJ…" Archer mumbled as he allowed her to softly push him onto his back.
CJ didn't speak for a few seconds as she got comfortable on Archer's lap and leaned over him. She kept staring into his eyes as she placed one hand on his chest, feeling his quickening heartbeat, while the other started to softly rub his hair. "I'm gonna kiss you now, okay?" She told him breathlessly.
"Okay…" Archer answered almost immediately, moving his own hands up around CJ's back to pull her more tightly against him.
CJ dove in like a tigress and kissed Archer passionately on the lips. She felt that by now familiar tingling sensation in her stomach, as well as the metaphorical fireworks being set off in her head. The upcoming battle and the war could wait… Right here, right now, all she wanted to focus on was the person in front of her…