-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Ben... you are the best thing that has happened to me. I know that I... I don't show it but I do mean this. Ben, I have never felt anything as heartwarming and special until I met you; until I fell in love with you. I know I can be a handful to handle and I keep my emotions to myself but you... you have the key to the most important part in my heart. Almost losing you at Cotillion made me realize that this entire time I thought you were trying to change me when you were really trying to show me who I am; showing me that you accept me. I love you, Ben. Why can't you see that?" Mal's voice quivered as she spoke to her fiancé.

She reached out for him - wanting him to pull her close, wanting him to embrace her, but he only pushed her hand away.

A soft noise escaped her lips, indicating she was holding back a sob. Her glimmering green eyes shifted to the side; the glassy layer of tears starting to form in the corners. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her cheeks.

Her lower lip quivered as words slowly made their way out of her mouth. "Why are you doing this, Ben? I thought you loved me!" She sobbed.

She felt so weak standing there crying again over love. She could hear her mother's voice in the back of her head.

Ben only smirked and turned around, his eyes were pitch black and he was showing signs of possession.

"Ben?" Mal called his name again, her voice filled with worry.

Ben gave one last smirk grew wider before he collapsed and passed out. "Ben!" Mal screamed and grabbed him while crying.

What did she do to deserve this much pain?

A chuckle came from behind her and she froze for a moment.

As soon as Mal turned around to see who it was, she was attacked by.....

~•~•~•~•~•~

Mal jolted awake in her bed while trying to catch her breath.

This was the 4th time this dream has happened and this was the 3rd time she got attacked in it.

Mal looked around and saw the reflection of the sun beaming through her and Evie's window.

Her eyes landed on the dress that was in front of her bed:

She was confused at first but then looked at the ring on her finger.

She almost cursed herself for forgetting the "most important" day of her life and she almost beat herself up for waking up this late.

Mal always woke up late if Evie wasn't the one waking her up. The purple had got out her bed in a hurry but ended up falling down.

"Great!" She exclaimed, slapping her forehead during the sarcasm.

Evie walked in the room and gasped at the sight of her sister on the floor. "M! The meeting is literally 25 minutes away and you're not cleaned up? I didn't create that dress for nothing, Lady of the Court!" Evie frowned and fussed at her.

She walked over to her and pulled her up. Mal pouted, sitting on the edge of her bed, "I don't think I can do it, E," She confessed as Evie flipped her blueberry hair over her shoulder, faking like she didn't hear her.

"E, I can't do it..." Mal repeated and Evie dragged her over to the vanity, "Can't do what?" Evie finally asked, applying wax in between her eyebrows as she forced a mint strip in her mouth to marinate for the time being.

Mal let her shoulders hang, "I don't think I can marry Ben. If..." she took a deep breath, "...I can't even remember to set an alarm...imagine me trying to improve myself standing next to Belle. I'll choke..." She answered her, sighing at the end.

Evie covered her nose.

"I am telling you this because I love you, sigh after you do dental hygiene. Besides, Belle herself was once your age. Marrying a Prince is earned, M... and you have done that," she gently smiled at her, softly poking at her chin to cheer her up.

Mal sent her a death glare but nevertheless returned the smile.

What would Mal do without Evie?

°.✩┈┈∘*┈ 🐉 ┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Mal winced feeling strings of her violently being pulled by Cogsworth rough hands, "Ouch!" She said loud enough for him to hear.

"Beauty is pain, darling. Beauty is pain," he gleamed, bopping her on the nose and laughing at the curse she sent his way.

Mal sucked in a breath and stared at herself in the mirror. Is she really going to spend her life like this? Waking up, getting thrown into a dress, forced into hurtful hairstyles, fake smiles and attending boring meetings she has to pay attention to?

Even after everything her and Ben has been through, she still doubts living like this. Something inside of her didn't want to.

"Cogsworth... is love changing yourself to satisfy your partner?" She asked, staring deep into her eyes and seeing the young, lost girl screaming to be let out the chest she buried her in.

Cogsworth chuckled.

His laughter was free and pure, so childish despite his adult years. It came to Mal's ears as a tickle and bounce - and only a rocky heart could do anything but join in such generous mirth.

"Love isn't changing yourself to please your partner. That is insecurity. Love is being yourself in both private and public. If you love them, you would show them your true self,"

Oh.

Mal couldn't help but uncomfortably adjust in her seat after hearing his answer. Insecurity? Mal wasn't insecure. She was one of the most confident people in Auradon. She wasn't insecure at all......

Right?

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Thinking about the memory made Mal sigh. She was never assure of herself. She was always brushed off, always ignored.

But it was partially her fault to blame.

When you have no control over your life, you allow others to do it for you.

"That's my problem... I need to control my life. And to do that... I need to control my emotions.."

A smile slowly formed as she found the first nail to hit on the coffin.

Her journey is already off to a great start.

↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠

Alan, older sister of Ariel, stood anxiously in King Beast's office, surrounded by disapproving upper highers facial expressions.

It was her fault.

She was in charge of watching over Mal. She was in charge of keeping her level headed. But how far Mal's emotions would go internally was out of her control.

Call her rude, but Alan felt like she was not in the wrong here. Obviously those in this very room looking down on her were the main reasons Mal ran away.

She refused to get judged by them.

"And then what happened afterwards? You didn't take the silence as a warning?" Queen Belle observed Alan with the gaze of a stranger, that aloof judgement with no strings.

"As previously stated, Queen Belle, after believing I've given her enough time, I checked in on her. The poor girl needed some time alone. Everyone continued to bother her."

Evie walked back and forth in the corner of room, the flashback of Mal laying in that hospital bed replaying in her mind.

What if she went back to finish what she started?

What if she went back there because nobody would stop her?

What if she went back because somebody would even assit her?

The gloom hugs Evie's skin as a protective brother, always bringing a sense of stoic calmness until the light returns.

She wanted Mal back. She wanted her best friend back. She wanted her sister back. This was no average running away. Mal was suicidal. There was no telling what she ran away to really do.

Carlos on the other hand was completely covered in guilt. She wanted his help - and he didn't do enough to help her. He had access to her solitary room, of course he created it. Why didn't he fight harder? Why did he allow her to get in that sunken place even more? The opportunity to help her was there.

"Maybe it's deeper? Maybe the problem is deeper than we're making it?" Belle spoke up once more, noticing her son's disturbed silence.

Carlos' mind was pressuring him. Even when Mal's failed suicide attempt happened he kept his promise to her - don't tell anybody. The problem at hand led back to one person - that person. But he promised her...

...Not telling them wouldn't help. He had to say something. What type of friend would he be to assist her in her making her own death bed. The guilt was eating him up enough to be a full meal.

Ben gestured for Alan to come to him, his face showing signs of worry, anger, and frustration; worrying about Mal, angry at himself for how he treated the relationship, and frustrated with the outcome of the situation she desperately needed help in.

"I want you to send the United Guards of Auradon on a trip to the Isle-" as Ben stated the command mixed reactions followed up afterwards.

Shocking gasp from Queen Belle.

A loud "son!" from King Beast.

More frustrated grunting from Jay.

An "oh" from Fairy Godmother.

Sniffling happy/worry from Evie.

A noise holding back Carlos saying he wants to join.

"-and I want them... will she be happy to see me..." Doubt. As realization kicked in, Ben slowly started to sit back down.

Evie walked over to the desk, "Mal... after what you did... I think it'll be best if I go. She'll listen to me. I'll check on her... I'll check on my sister..."

Alan stood in the midst of it all - now thinking about how she went from being in a line of Princesses to this. The creation of the USA put some of them in a slump, especially those born on the Isle.

Really thinking over it, Alan realized the Isle children were surrounded by their prisoners; surrounded by those who took their freedom away.

'I wouldn't be surprised if all they ran away.' Alan bitterly thought.

Jay grabbed on to Evie's shoulder, "I'm going with her," but as the words left his mouth so did Ben's normal encouragement of letting them do what they please.

Mal hated Ben. Everybody in the room knew it. Maybe she didn't fully hate him, or maybe she was even confused on her hatred, but overall she didn't want see him after she got out the hospital.

Their relationship was in shambles before he broke things off; Ben was oblivious. The more he ignored it; the more she loathed him. The more he unwillingly tore her a part. The more the foundation their relationship was built upon tore her a part. The more the guilt of that cookie tore her a part.

"I think..." Ben didn't know what to do. For the first time, his actions were in a complete utterly mess. Mal was walking ticking bomb. Everybody in this room had their own reasons of thinking why she'd blow up.

Ben buried his head in hands as a quiet despairing noise escaped his lips. Belle rushed over to her disturbed son to give him comfort. As much as liked Mal, she didn't like seeing the trouble she was causing for her boy.

And for the first time, letting his guard down in front of others, Ben admitted something his father always taught him to keep to himself:

"I don't know what to do."

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