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Enjoy!
Chapter 22: Light
Mal was flung back with extreme force as the cauldron exploded in a flash of burning light and an accompanying deafening boom. Her sword tumbled from her hands as she flew through the air before landing on the mossy forest floor with a loud thud. She was completely disorientated, and her already substantial injuries only worsened due to her rough fall.
Grunting in effort, Mal slowly got to her knees again as smoldering pieces of white-hot rubble started raining down around her. She examined them more closely. They were pieces of the cauldron!
Further up the clearing, the place where the cauldron had hovered had been reduced to a crater. Black smoke rose up far into the sky, clouding most of the surrounding area from view. Everything was eerily silent.
'Oh my god…' Mal thought to herself. 'It worked… It worked! The cauldron was destroyed!' She leapt up, ignoring the numbing pain in her limbs. Her mind was a mix of euphoria and distress. What was going to happen now? Where was Archer? Where was Ben? And where was Solomon…
"Ben!?" Mal called out as she stepped closer to the place where the ruined remains of the cauldron were scattered around like glowing embers. "Ben!?"
She did not hear anything in her close vicinity, but a loud tumult broke out from much further back. Mal could hear cheering and hollering, and the sound of hundreds of pairs of feet trampling the forest floor. She looked back, just in time to see a few undead stragglers fall to the ground like empty, lifeless husks.
A warm feeling spread through her chest. The cauldron was destroyed, so the undead army was disintegrating. This was huge! The cheering made much more sense now, as Auradon troops were obviously celebrating the fall of their opposing army.
Still, Mal could not find it in her heart to celebrate just yet. She needed to find Ben first… To make sure he was safe… The last she saw of him before the cauldron had been blasted apart had not been pretty. Solomon had left a large, bleeding gash along his chest, and Mal prayed with all her might that this injury would not prove fatal.
A groaning sound to her right. Mal hurried over, panting slightly. It wasn't Ben, but Archer.
"Archer!?" Mal gasped, kneeling down beside him. He looked terrible. He had been right beside the cauldron when it exploded, and it showed. His left side was smoldering and covered with soot. Parts of his armor had been blown off. His left arm was at an awkward angle. Excalibur was nowhere to be seen. "Archer! C-Can you hear me?"
Archer took a deep breath and coughed up a mix of blood and soot. His breathing then steadied. His eyes fluttered as he gazed at Mal, they were still the same astonishingly blue color Mal was used to. "Yeah…" He muttered, softly and weakly. "I think I'm alright…"
Mal gave a soft chuckle. All in all, things could have gone much worse for him. For both of them.
Another groan, from a little further back. Mal gasped as the smoke from the smoldering cauldron slowly dissipated. Ben was lying on stomach, slowly crawling in her direction.
"Ben!" Mal cried out, immediately forgetting about Archer and hurrying towards her beloved. She gently helped to turn him onto his back after reaching him. The gash on his chest was still bleeding profusely. Mal knew she did not possess the magical skill needed to heal such a wound. It did not look good.
"Ben…" Mal whimpered, already feeling the tears start to drip down her cheeks as she softly pushed some stray strands of hair from Ben's face.
"Mal…" He replied, looking up at her with a loving and tender expression. "I-Is it done? D-Did we do it?" He mumbled.
Mal nodded, taking his hand in her own and squeezing it reassuringly. "It's done, Ben… We're safe…"
Ben smiled softly before his let his head fall back to the ground with a thud.
Mal felt her breathing quickening. "Ben! No! You don't get to die, do you hear me!?" She snapped as she brought her face closer to his and softly slapped his cheeks. "It's over! W-We can live our lives again… We can be happy again… Ben, please…"
Ben groaned, still keeping his eyes closed. "H-Help… Help…" He muttered.
Mal's eyes widened, and she nodded her head profusely. "H-Help… Of course, yes… I-I will find someone… Ben, you're gonna be okay…" She stammered as she got back to her feet. Her knees felt weak.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that just yet…" A sinister voice said from behind.
Mal spun around immediately, her purple hair whipping around her head. Solomon came strutting out of the cloud of smoke that still emanated from the ruined rests of the cauldron. His eyes were wide, bloodshot and deranged, like he was verging on the edge of insanity. He no longer sported the injuries Mal had caused with her dragon fire, but did not look anywhere near as intimidating as he had done before. Without the cauldron, a certain part of him seemed to have disappeared. He stumbled towards Mal, clutching a dagger in his outstretched hand.
"You… You will pay…" He spat, a furious grimace on his face. "For this… For everything…"
Mal took some deep breaths. It just had to come down to this… Solomon and her… "It's over, Solomon…" She panted, gesturing broadly around her. "The cauldron is gone… You can't beat us…"
Solomon huffed and puffed, his eyes shooting fire. "You… You have no idea what I'm capable of…"
Mal scoffed slightly as she reached to her side to unsheathe her sword. It was only at that point that she remembered she had lost it. She looked back up at Solomon with wide eyes.
Solomon smirked. "What's the matter? Feeling a little helpless, Mal?"
Mal quickly raised her hands to try and perform a spell, but Solomon was faster than her. He too raised a hand and a whipping sound was heard as Mal felt an invisible rope tighten around her neck. She coughed and sputtered as she reached for her throat but was unable to dislodge his grip.
"Mal… Nooo…" Ben wailed, his voice soft as he reached out to her in vain.
Mal continued to squeal and grunt as Solomon pulled her closer to him, her feet scraping over the ground as he reeled her in, keeping a hold of her throat with his malicious spell. Mal struggled, but was completely helpless. She couldn't think of a way to counter this spell… She already started to grow light-headed…
When she was close enough, Solomon lashed out and grabbed a hold of Mal's throat with his own hand. "You insolent, spineless weakling…" He hissed, strangling her slowly but steadily. "We could have had it all… Together… But you chose the path of the weak… The sheep… The unworthy…"
Mal kept letting out soft gasping noises as she continued to struggle, lashing out with her legs and kicking at Solomon with all her might. She barely did any damage though, and he even began lifting her up slightly until her feet left the ground.
"Mal…" Ben's voice was filled with agony and despair as he called out to her from further back, but she wasn't even able to look back at him.
"I'm glad it's me, though…" Solomon sneered, ignoring Ben's pleas and visibly enjoying the way Mal's eyes widened in panic. "To be the one who gets to end you… Is a worthy alternative to conquering this wretched kingdom…"
Mal's entire body trembled and shook as Solomon raised his dagger in a dramatic fashion. She did not stop fighting, hoping against better knowledge that someone would come to her aid. She kept staring defiantly at Solomon, not showing an ounce of fear. She would not give him that satisfaction.
"No… No! Noooooo!" A loud cry from behind her turned into a thunderous roar. Mal saw Solomon's eyes widen in shock, and then she heard the sound of fabric ripping and armor being torn apart. What was happening!?
Before she had a second to process it all, something huge and hairy plowed into Solomon, causing him to drop her to the ground. Mal coughed and gagged, relieved to finally be able to breathe again. She groaned as she caressed her throat, while two dark shapes were moving about above her. Mal blinked and tried to focus.
Solomon had been pushed on his back, and he was shouting and shrieking in a complete panic. He lashed out with his dagger and kicked his legs, but his attacker was undeterred. Solomon was completely overwhelmed by the ferocious attacks of a huge, monstruous beast!
A beast!
"Ben?" Mal gasped, still feeling the ramifications of almost having been choked to death by Solomon. "Ben, is that you?" She added in a breathless tone, though there was no way anyone could hear her speak.
The beast was huge; at least eight feet tall. It was covered from head to toe in dense layers of umber-colored fur. Its eyes were large and bright yellow. Its gaping maw was filled with large, fang-like teeth. It's fur-covered arms were broad and muscular, and its paws were tipped with huge, sharp talons. Torn pieces of clothing still clung to the beast, but none of it even remotely intact. The beast continued to roar and snap as it tore into Solomon, its claws ripping Solomon's clothing and skin to shreds.
Mal could only stare wide-eyed. She realized in the back of her mind that this sort of transformation was not completely unexpected, given Ben's heritage. However, Mal had never expected to see it occur, given that, ordinarily, Ben was not a person who could easily be pushed over the edge… Now, though, his full fury was unleashed…
The transformation appeared to have healed all his injuries, as the beastly Ben continued to roar, slash and stomp while all Solomon could do was whimper and try to shield himself. Ben seemingly lashed out blindly, using his newfound massive paws to slam into his foe.
Solomon made agonizing yelling and grunting sounds as he was being thrown left and right. He tried his best to slash at Ben with his remaining dagger or conjure up any sort of spell that could aid in his situation, but was not given the chance. Ben sank his enormous, sharp teeth into Solomon's arm and began dragging him around like a dog with a bone.
Mal watched in both fear and awe, crawling back a little as the messy fight between man and beast continued. A sickening, crunching sound was heard as Ben bit down harder and seemingly crushed Solomon's arm in between his jaws. The villain screamed out in anguish and began blindly firing several spells in every direction. Mal had to duck to avoid a stream of sizzling smoke that was thrown her way.
Rain was still pouring down, and thunder crackled as the fight went on. A blind hit from Solomon's dagger cut into Ben's chest, and he howled in pain. Solomon took that one second to hastily crawl out from under the beast and scramble back up.
Ben lashed out with an enormous paw and sent Solomon flying again. The villain landed roughly on his back and let out more curses and groans of agony. His left arm had been torn to shreds and was bleeding heavily. Large pieces of his clothing had also been ripped apart, and numerous gashes on his face and body added to his disheveled appearance.
Nevertheless, Solomon stumbled back upright, pointing his dagger at the beast that stalked over to him, crouching on four paws and growling maliciously. Solomon's eyes were wide with shock. It had been a long time since Mal had seen him lose control like this. He was obviously unsure of what to do. He had no more cauldron. No more army. No more allies. But, knowing him, he was not gonna go out quietly…
The beast jumped at Solomon again, but he managed to summon up a transparent barrier that blocked the beast's path. It roared in anger, blindly throwing itself against the barrier and baring its teeth at Solomon, who stepped back a few paces to create more space and time to think of something.
It was at this moment that Mal jumped back into action. She took a few deep breaths as she sprang back upright, her eyes glowing. She raised her hands and conjured up a ball of fire, which she threw in Solomon's direction.
The villain was late to notice Mal's spell, and barely had a second to dodge out of the way, deactivating his barrier in the process. The beast once again stormed at Solomon, barreling into him and swiping with its claws. Solomon was barely able to jump back, trying to block the beast's talons with his dagger.
Mal ran in, a furious grimace on her face as she conjured up another ball of fire. They were so close… They had to give it their all for just a little longer, and then Solomon would be defeated… And everything would be alright…
The beast did not attack Mal, though it did notice her when she went and stood next to it. Mal knew it was Ben, even though it did not sport any of his features, and, similarly, the beast seemed to recognize her in some capacity.
"Cowards…" Solomon grunted, swaying unsteadily on shaky legs as he glared at his two adversaries. "Too scared to take me on alone… It won't be enough either way… I'll decorate the ground with your insides…"
Mal looked to the beast at her side. It looked back and snarled, baring its fangs.
"Are you jealous, Solomon?" She directed herself at her adversary, a grin playing around her lips. "Jealous that I will never run out of friends and allies who will help me, while you have always been alone…"
Solomon was visibly seething, breathing heavily as he clutched his dagger.
"You've lost…" Mal continued to rub it in, taking a step in his direction. "Uma is done… The villains are done… Your undead army has crumbled… The cauldron is destroyed… Oh boy, you really liked that cauldron, didn't you?"
Solomon fired a quick spell in her direction, like a gunshot, but Mal was able to parry it, smirking as she did so. Despite everything that had happened to him, Solomon was till dangerous, and he would be easiest to take in if he was brought off his game…
"And now, Ben and I will be the ones to take you in… Karma is a bitch, isn't it?" Mal sneered.
Solomon yelled out as he stormed at Mal. He slashed with his dagger, and Mal dodged. The beast then jumped in and swatted at Solomon with its enormous paw, hitting him square on the jaw and causing a tooth to spiral from his mouth. Solomon stumbled to the side, where he was met by Mal, who kicked him harshly in the chest, sending him back to the beast, who swiped at him and tore a large, bloody gash in his side. Solomon staggered, his legs obviously almost giving out as he emerged before Mal again. She raised her hands once again, her eyes shining like emeralds, and fired a huge ball of fire straight into Solomon, who was helplessly flung back.
The dagger flew out of his hand as the villain made another rough landing. Only this time, he did not try to get up right away. Mal and the beast quickly approached their adversary, who groaned as he weakly tried to crawl over to his fallen dagger, blood seeping from numerous deep wounds all over his body.
Mal stepped in and placed one of her boots on Solomon's outstretched arm before pressing down, making him whimper. "Give up…" She told him with a scoff. "Surrender…"
Solomon did not look up at her, but Mal saw how his body trembled and twitched from the withheld anger and desperation. He kept stretching his fingers in a hopeless attempt to still reach his dagger.
Mal leaned down and picked it up, her steely gaze fixed on the back of Solomon's head as she twirled the dagger in her fingers. The beast was standing next to her, staring down at Solomon as well with a furious expression.
Solomon let out a miserable grunt, trembling as he clenched his fist. "You will never beat me…" He then muttered, not looking up at either of them. "I am destined to plunge this world into darkness… You will all feel my wrath…"
Mal rolled her eyes. She raised her foot off of Solomon's arm before harshly kicking at him, turning him onto his back. She stared down at him, and he looked back at her with his dark, bloodshot eyes. Mal pointed the dagger down at him. It was sort of poetic to use Solomon's own weapon to keep him at bay. "Submit!" She hissed.
Solomon began cackling, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth and making him look all the more deranged. "S-Submit? Haha… Mal… I would have expected even you to know better…"
Mal felt a blush creep up on her cheeks. "It's the only way, Solomon… Or… Or else…"
"Or else what?" Solomon snapped, slowly turning on his side before shakily getting to his knees. He barely paid the dagger Mal had pointed at him any mind. "Or else what?" He repeated, taking wheezing breaths as he stood on his knees before Mal. "You'll kill me?"
Mal gulped. Her hand trembled slightly. She stared down at Solomon and felt an unrivaled sense hatred and revulsion. He had caused her and the people around her so much pain and misery. He was a snake! A villain beyond repair! And still… Still… Mal did not want to kill him…
Solomon's eyes widened when Mal casually tossed his dagger to the side, where it clattered onto the ground. The rain was finally faltering a little, and a few rays of sunlight began forcing their way through the cloudy sky.
"That's not how we do things in Auradon…" Mal spoke, her voice deep with emotion.
Solomon rolled his eyes and scoffed. "You're even weaker than I imagined…" He spat. "So, what? You're gonna lock me up? Send me back to the isle? I'll be back, you know… You'll never be rid of me… I'll always be a threat… Looming over your shoulder… Hiding in the shadows…"
Now it was Mal's turn to roll her eyes. She hated Solomon's proclivity for dramatic speeches. She took in his words, almost feeling a sense of amusement as she watched him spew more meaningless threats. He was beaten, and now all she needed to do was take him in.
She couldn't kill him… Ben would not agree… And Mal too felt as though killing him would not be enough of a punishment. He would be getting off to easily for all the horrible things he had done. No, despite all of Mal's efforts to better herself and see the best in people, she wanted to see Solomon suffer…
Still, she could not just take him in… His magic was too powerful… He also did not possess a magical necklace, like Uma, which she could destroy and just be done with… She needed to do something extra. And, luckily for Mal, she had just the thing…
Mal reached into her pocket and clutched the amulet CJ had given her. The amulet which supposedly held the power to render anyone's magical abilities useless… She knew how attached Solomon was to his magic, and how devastated he would be if Mal were to take them away from him…
"See this?" Mal spoke up, taking out the amulet and dangling it in front of Solomon's eyes.
She saw him frown a little as he followed the swaying item. Then his eyes widened and he let out a shuddering gasp. He looked at Mal, his eyes suddenly filled with dread. "No…"
"You know what it is, don't you? CJ gave it to me… She told me that you gave it to her… To use on me… Isn't that ironic…" Mal casually told him, trying to sound calm when, in fact, she was boiling with anger on the inside. "She then suggested I use it on you…" She went on, shrugging, though her eyes were alight with hatred. "And I think that's just a damn fine idea…"
Solomon let out an anguished cry as he sprang forward, snatching at the amulet, but Mal stepped back and kept it out of reach, making him fall flat on his face.
The beast growled when Solomon lunged at Mal, but stayed at the sidelines, its claws still bared. Mal looked at the beast, and it snarled, but also gave a slight nod. It seemed as though Ben was understanding what was happening after all, even underneath all that fur.
Mal stepped behind Solomon and reached down to grab a tight hold of his hair. She pulled him back up to his knees, not paying any particular attention to how hard she was pulling. Solomon growled and groaned, but his wounds had taken a toll on him, meaning he could no longer resist her.
"I will be back…" He snarled, blood still dripping steadily from his mouth. "And I'll rip you apart when I do…"
"Just try it, you coward…" Mal hissed, her heart beating uncontrollably in her chest as she looked down at her enemy. She then brought the string of the amulet over Solomon's head and tightened it around his neck in one fell swoop.
Solomon immediately gasped, bringing his uninured arm to his throat and weakly pulling at the amulet. It gave off a strange, brownish glow. Solomon's eyes bulged and he gagged slightly as he trembled on his knees. Then, in a historic yet also anticlimactic fashion, he slowly fell forward, flat on his face again, and stopped moving. Mal gave him one more kick for good measure, but he did not move.
He was unconscious…
He had been beaten…
They had won…
Mal let out a huge, trembling breath as tears already began pouring out of her eyes again. She dropped to her knees beside the unconscious Solomon and let out a piercing scream. That scream held within it months, no, years of pain, stress, fear and resentment…
But they had done it…
It was over…
A sense of relief and deep sadness washed over Mal, who remembered all the terrible things that had been done in Solomon's name and all the people who had been hurt and killed… She was suddenly incredibly aware of the fact that she hadn't slept in about two days… That she was covered in mud, painful bruises and several bleeding wounds…
The rain slowly stopped falling, and the sunlight was breaking through the clouds much more forcefully now. It was as if even the weather was celebrating Auradon's victory over its much maligned enemy!
A faint ringing was persistently present in Mal's hearing, which drowned out a lot of the other noises emerging from around her. She could vaguely hear the thumping sound of a host of people clad in heavy armor and boots running in every direction further back. Voices cried out.
Mal wanted to call out, to alert people to her and Ben's location, but could not find the energy. She slowly got back up, her legs shaking. She resisted the urge to kick at Solomon's prone form again, and turned to the beast, only to find it had already sulked back towards the center of the clearing.
Before her eyes, Mal saw the beast slink and shrink as Ben reverted to his human form. Some parts of his fur began to shed, while other parts simply withdrew into his skin. His armor had been completely discarded during his transformation, but several ripped and torn pieces of clothing still clung to him as he stumbled away from Mal. She could hear him breathe heavily and irregularly.
"Ben?" Mal called out with a soft voice, clutching her left arm as she shuffled in his direction. She realized that it would be somewhat inconsiderate of her to ask him to act in a more celebratory manner, but she had at least expected him to run to her at the very second their victory was secured.
So many thoughts flew through Mal's head as she headed over to Ben. The muddy ground was trodden and covered with discarded weapons, fallen warriors and other bits and pieces. To her left, she saw the immense devastation her dragon fire had caused, with both the ground and the trees having been completely scorched in an area that encompassed several dozen yards. The air smelled of smoke, dirt, iron and blood.
"Ben…" Mal repeated once she saw her beloved fall to his knees a little further up. "Ben!?" She added, growing a little worried and speeding up.
Ben was audibly crying as Mal knelt down next to him. She thought that he might have been overwhelmed by emotions. The strange, melancholy joy of their victory, mixed with the tragic realization of their losses and the undoubtedly odd sensation of having transformed into a beast would probably be too much for anyone to handle. Then her gaze fell to the body right below them, and she gasped loudly.
It was Adam…
Mal felt her heart drop. Everything seemed to slow down. All the euphoria and feelings of accomplishment she had felt after dealing with Solomon disappeared immediately. In its place emerged a sense of dread, hopelessness and denial.
Adam, who had become a genuine father figure to Mal over the past few years… Who had always been there to offer help and guidance in times of strife… Who had always been such a calming and level-headed presence… Who had done everything in his power to keep his kingdom and those he loved safe… Who had paid the ultimate price…
Mal could not think of anything to say as warm tears rapidly began pouring down her cheeks. Ben was openly bawling, his trembling, blood-covered hands tightly gripping onto his father's motionless arm. Mal reached out and placed a hand on Ben's shoulder, and believed it to be a good sign when he did not shake her off.. She felt him shudder as she traced circles over his exposed skin. Still, not a word was said…
They sat there in silence for a long time, each contemplating their own feelings. Ironically, the sun only started shining more brightly, bathing the devastating scene around Ben and Mal in golden light. Birds were chirping again… The wind gently caressed the leaves of the trees that were still standing… Things seemed right, but they weren't…
There was a gaping, hollow feeling in Mal's chest. So much was going through her head. Thoughts of Adam… Of all the others she had seen fall… Of all the battles and fights she had somehow managed to survive over the past months… It was all so much…
Mal saw movement from the corner of her eye. A few Auradon soldiers, all clad in dented, mud-covered armor, began pouring into the clearing. They were led by Aden and Alex, and carried stretchers and first-aid kits with them. Freddie was with them as well, and Mal breathed a sigh of relief at the realization that she was unhurt.
The soldiers fanned out across the clearing, looking for survivors. They were all talking loudly, but Mal could not discern a single word. Here and there, a groaning form was hauled onto a stretcher before being quickly taken back to a medic or field hospital. There were cries of joy whenever a living person was discovered, but nothing was said when the shapes on the ground did not respond. The corpses of Auradon troops were dragged to the side to be gathered later. The undead, many of whom had already began crumbling to dust, were left to rot for now.
Some of the soldiers investigated the enormous crater where the black cauldron had exploded. Dark smoke still rose up into the air from that location, clouding whatever bits and pieces still remained of the cauldron from view.
Aden and Alex found Archer, who was still writhing on the muddy ground, and let their joy be known as they helped him onto a stretcher. Freddie quickly joined up with them as well, letting out a shrill shriek as she leaned down and hugged him fiercely. The four exchanged a few words, but they were too far for Mal to hear what was being said. Mal felt a twinge of gratitude knowing that, at least, they had managed to get Archer back…
Freddie helped to make sure that Archer was safely being dragged off the battlefield before turning around, her eyes meeting Mal's. "Mal?" She called out.
Mal could not find it in herself to reply, but could also not do anything about the fact that the eyes of everyone in the clearing were now on her and Ben.
"Mal! Ben!" Freddie, Aden and Alex all shouted as they sprinted in their direction.
"Mal, oh my god! You're alright! Mal! We won! We won!" Freddie rambled as she came to a screeching halt next to Mal and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh my god… Mal… Ben… W-We did it… W-We…" She went on, before her voice abruptly faltered as she spotted Adam laying motionless below them.
"Oh my god…" Aden muttered, as he too spotted the former king.
"No…" Alex added in a small voice, his enormous shoulders dropping.
"Mal…" Freddie said in a small voice, her bottom lip quivering and a single tear rolling down her cheek. "M-Mal, y-you need to come with us… You're hurt…" She added, her eyes fixated on the multiple cuts and bruises on Mal's face, many of which were still bleeding.
"Ben… Come on… We need to get somewhere safe…" Aden encouraged Ben, who was still crying and tightly clutching his father's body.
"Aden, give him a moment…" Alex muttered, his voice much softer than usual.
"We're getting everyone out… The hospitals are being prepared… There are so many wounded… Ben… Mal… Please… T-The sooner we do this… The better…" Aden went on, though he sounded far from confident.
Mal realized where they were coming from. She knew that, despite their victory, it still wasn't completely safe. There were probably still a few scores of villains about who hadn't been captured yet. Both Ben and Mal had suffered some severe wounds that needed to be looked after. Mal realized all this, but it was immensely difficult to get either her body or her mind to actively do anything at the moment…
The smoke cleared more and more, and a few soldiers called out to the rest after they found the smoldering remains of the cauldron within a shallow crater. Dozens more soldiers kept pouring into the clearing as word spread.
A few soldiers approached their little group, but most immediately turned their back on them without saying a word after examining the scene. Aden and Alex kept trying to spur them on, placing hesitant hands on Ben's shoulders, but he kept shaking them off, letting out growling noises in the process. Freddy's hand did not leave Mal's shoulder, but she made no attempt to get her to move.
The only point at which Mal made a slight movement and tore her eyes away from Ben was when she heard some of the soldiers discover Solomon's unconscious form.
"Oi, we got a life one here…" One of them called out. "A villain, looks like. Torn to shreds, he is."
Mal looked back, still on her knees. A nagging feeling of fear gnawed on her, telling her that Solomon would somehow spring back to life and continue to wreak havoc. Freddie followed her gaze, and let out a slight yelp when she too recognized Solomon.
The soldiers hauled his body onto a stretcher. His eyes were still rolled back in his skull, and his mouth was wide open, a combination of blood and drool seeping onto his chin. His arms and legs, both battered almost beyond recognition in the fight, hung limp and lifeless next to the rest his body. The soldiers still took the extra effort to cuff his wrists, and thankfully also did not remove the amulet from his neck. Mal kept watching as the soldiers ran off with the critically injured villain. They probably had no clue about who it was they were transporting.
"Mal… D-Did you do that?" Freddie asked, her voice trembling slightly as she too watched Solomon being hauled off.
Mal did not give a definitive answer, but also did nothing to try and dispute Freddie's question. With Solomon gone, Mal was once again solely concerned with Ben.
The sun continued to shine, and Ben started putting some effort into wiping the dirt and mud from his father's body. Adam's richly adorned armor shimmered in the bright light, but his skin was sickly pale and lifeless under all the dirt.
"It should have been me…" Ben murmured, his voice coarse. "I am king… Why was he even here? He should have been somewhere safe…"
Mal's hand tightened on Ben's shoulder. "He wanted to help, Ben…" She whispered. "He always did… This has always been his kingdom… He gave his life protecting it…"
"He's a hero…" Aden concurred. "His name will go down in history even more than it already did… Songs of his deeds will be sung in taverns til the end of times…"
"I don't care…" Ben snarled. "I want him back… I-I… T-There's so much I still want to talk to him about…"
Aden, Alex and Freddie all cast their eyes downward, obviously unsure if any words could possibly offer Ben any solace at the moment.
"He never saw me wed…" Ben went on, his voice cracking once more as he finally turned to look at Mal. "He never saw us wed… He will never meet his grandchildren…"
More tears rolled down Mal's cheeks as she leaned in and pulled Ben into a tight hug. She could not think of anything to say. Nothing could possibly ease the suffering at this moment. The elation would come, she knew that. The elation of having defeated Solomon and Uma, and having restored Auradon to safety. But, for now, the weight of all the loss was crushing down on her.
Ben finally let go of his father, instead putting his arms around Mal and crying into her shoulder. While Mal softly stroked his hair, Aden and Alex called a few soldiers to their position and helped move Adam's body onto a stretcher. Ben did not stop them, and Mal saw that as a good sign.
The soldiers all bowed their head in respect as Adam's body was carried past them, back to the Auradon camp. The clearing was nearly deserted now. Only a few soldiers and the empty husks of now genuinely deceased undead remained, along with Mal, Ben, Freddie, Aden and Alex.
Ben was still crying into Mal's shoulder, but he seemed to have also calmed down slightly, judging from the way he no longer seemed as tightly wound.
"Mal…" Freddie once again whispered, biting her lip.
Mal looked up at her and saw a hesitant, fearful expression on her face. She wanted to leave this place, and Mal couldn't blame her. Aden and Alex were similarly twiddling their thumbs, hoping for a sign that they could get back to camp and maybe reunite with their loved ones.
"Guys…" Mal spoke slowly, all the tiredness very much apparent in her voice. "Help me… Please…" She sighed, still softly stroking Ben's back.
Aden and Alex nodded before reaching down and gently picking Ben up by his arms. Mal let them. She was exhausted, and knew that she did not have the energy to support Ben all the way back to camp. Ben did not resist. He allowed the two young men to put his arms around their shoulders before they began their journey back to camp.
"Mal… Here… Let me…" Freddie stammered as she also reached down and helped Mal get back onto shaky feet.
Mal grunted and her knees nearly buckled, so Freddie hastily put an arm around her to keep her up. "I-Is everyone… H-How many… D-Did everyone…" Mal stammered as Freddie began escorting her out of the clearing. She did not know how to formulate the question she was so afraid of, but so badly wanted to have answered. "D-Did everyone make it?" She finally asked.
Freddie took a deep breath. "We lost a lot of people… I haven't been back to camp yet…" She looked to her side and saw Mal's quivering bottom lip. "But I'm sure everyone made it!" Freddie hastily added. "Everyone's okay… Y-You'll see… You'll see…"
Mal could not bring herself to try and argue against Freddie's positivity. Her mind and stomach were restless. On the one hand, she wanted nothing more than to sleep for about a whole week. On the other, she wanted nothing more than to make sure everyone had made it out and was unharmed. As queen-to-be, and with Ben being so out of it, she also realized she had certain duties to perform. It was all so much…
"Almost there…" Freddie grunted, putting more effort into supporting Mal as they made their way past all the carnage the battle had caused.
The ground lay strewn with unmoving undead soldiers. Several trees had been burned to a crisp or blasted to splinters. They trudged past discarded weapons, torn pieces of clothing or armor, and several large pools of blood. The initial frontline the Auradonian forces had set up before the battle had been broken to pieces. Only a few Auradon soldiers still remained, with most casualties and fallen warriors having apparently already been hauled back to camp.
Mal and Freddie crossed the hill behind the frontline, and were finally able to set their eyes on the Auradon camp again. A significant number of undead had apparently broken through the frontline, because even here a number of empty husks covered the grassy field. The catapults and other artillery had largely been toppled or smashed to pieces. Most tents had been knocked over or torn apart. It appeared as though the battle had almost been lost before the cauldron had been destroyed. Nevertheless, the camp burst with life as soldiers ran back and forth, either transporting the dead and wounded or enthusiastically celebrating their hard-fought victory with their companions. The sun bathed the scene in bright light, and Mal could not help but feel a slight sense of unease.
Voices greeted them. Excited voices. Happy voices. Grateful voices.
Soldiers bowed and cheered when Freddie and Mal passed, only making Mal feel more awkward. Ben had most likely been transported further down the camp, hopefully so that someone could look after his wounds. She did not recognize anyone yet. No Evie. No Jay. No Carlos. No CJ. No Lonnie. No Chad. No Lancelot or Royce.
Freddie escorted Mal back to her and Ben's tent, which was thankfully still standing and completely deserted. Mal groaned as Freddie gently deposited her on her own bed. She took several deep breaths to calm down and try to get her emotions under control. Her eyelids fluttered.
"I'll get someone…" Freddie said in a soft voice, patting Mal's arm. "You just rest, okay?"
"N-No… I have to…" Mal murmured, everything spinning around her.
"Rest!" Freddie repeated in a loud, commanding tone. She gave Mal's arm a gentle squeeze before standing up and heading out.
Mal let her head fall back on the pillow. There were so many things she needed to do. People she needed to see. She replayed the battle in her mind. She remembered all those she had seen fall. She reminded herself that it was over… Done… Finished…
And she drifted off to sleep…