Time seemed to come to a screeching halt.
One minute, Evie was standing behind him, just as shocked at the revelation as he. The next, she was taking the curse that had been intended for him. As she hit the ground and Queenie disappeared into a puff of smoke, he felt the terror ripping through his heart as the scream flew out of his mouth, simultaneous with Mal's.
"EVIE!"
He felt his heart shattering over and over. The weight of the truth plummeted to his feet and rooted him to the floor. He couldn't move, couldn't react. All he could do was stand there and stare in utter shock and horror. No... His mind was still scrambling to process it all. She didn't. She wouldn't. It was all a vain attempt to convince himself. She would, in a heartbeat, sacrifice herself to save him. He just couldn't bring himself to believe that she had.
There was a flash of purple as Mal darted past him and threw herself on her knees next to her friend. "Evie? Evie! Oh, what did Queenie do to you? Evie..." She took the girl's hand and glanced up at Doug with tear-filled eyes. "She did this for you," she told him harshly. "She loves you! She saved your life! So don't just stand there like some dumb dwarf! Get over here and help me!"
Her tone was sharp and angry. Doug didn't question it. He rushed to her side and crouched down next to her. "But what can I do?" he whispered, hearing his voice trembling. "I can't control magic, let alone do anything about this!"
"You're the NeoMerlin!" Mal snapped. "You have the power to give life! You have to save her!" He stared at her in panic. "All right," Mal growled, taking a deep breath and calming herself down. "Here." She took his hand and guided him to place it on Evie's forehead. "Take a deep breath," she instructed, noticing the furious blush creeping into his cheeks. "When your magic is activated, you'll feel it. Come on. You got it. Yeah." She tried to give him what he supposed was intended to be a smile. It looked a bit more like a growl.
Doug nodded quickly, trying to still his shaking hands. The Dragonstone was hot in his grip and the heat sent hastened pulses through his body. Mal's right. I can do this, he told himself. He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, focusing all of his energy toward his hands. Come on. Come on. Work! Evie, I'll save you! Just hold on!
"Yes! Just like that!" Mal whispered, removing her hand now and sitting back, watching in approval.
"I have no idea what I'm doing," Doug confessed quietly.
"Well, whatever it is, keep doing it. I think it's working."
He wanted so badly to roll his eyes, but, other than Evie, Mal was the only one there who would know anything about magic. He had to hope she knew what she was talking about. Great. Really helpful. Okay...here goes nothing. "Evie?" he whispered quietly. "Evie, can you hear me?" He retracted his hand, watching her lifeless form with hope.
"Evie?" Mal joined in, touching her friend's shoulder gently.
The others circled them now. Ben had an arm around Carlos and Jay, steadying them. His gaze was focused on Evie, as were the others'. "Anything?" he asked softly, his eyes flicking toward Mal desperately. The purplette looked up at him and shook her head.
Doug stared. The burning tears pricked at his eyes. It hadn't worked. He hadn't saved her. It hadn't worked. He hadn't been strong enough. It hadn't worked. She's gone. He brushed his nose, reverting to the default of fiddling with his glasses, forgetting they weren't there. He didn't care that he couldn't see. All he cared about was that Evie was lying before him. And he hadn't been able to save her.
Carlos was struggling to comprehend this. "She's...she's dead?"
"No..." Doug muttered, refusing to believe it.
"Dude, it's not your fault," Jay said quickly, noticing the expression on the dwarf's face. "You couldn't have stopped it."
"No!" Doug cried. The tears came hard and fast now. He didn't bother to try and contain them. His heart crumbled and he fell to his knees beside the bluenette. "No! No! No, no, no! Evie!" He took her hand, hoping, praying, that somehow Mal was wrong. She has to be! Evie can't...she can't...not for me. "EVIE!"
"Morgana's still out there," Mal forced out. "Someone has to stop her." She glanced up at Ben and the others. "We have to go after them and save Auradon. For Evie."
"I can't...can't...leave her...not...not like...like this," Doug was sobbing now. "I...was supposed to pro-protect her. T-true Love. That's what she said." He smiled painfully, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I was her Romeo. S-she loved me but I...I never told her...that I loved her. Why didn't I tell her I loved her?"
"She knew," Ben spoke up firmly. Doug looked up at him desperately. "Doug, she knew."
"But...I-I..."
"Doug," Carlos came forward to kneel next to him and rested a firm hand on his shoulder. He had tears in his eyes too but he quickly blinked them back. "Come on, man, we have to go." He tried to pull Doug to his feet but the blond refused to budge. "Dude, seriously, come on."
"Evie would want us to finish our mission," Jay added tonelessly.
Doug shook his head firmly. He closed his eyes and just planted himself more firmly to the ground. "No."
"Doug," Mal began. She started an exaggerated sigh but stopped when he glared firmly at her, something he'd never had the courage to do before.
"No."
His entire demeanor had changed. Mal lurched back, stunned. She started to say something but Doug ignored her and went back to staring at Evie once more. I have to save her! I have the Dragonstone! Surely I can! "Evie," he whispered, lifting her body into his arms, ignoring the stares from the others. "I...I love you. Please. Don't leave me."
The stone began to pulse again as Doug held the bluenette close. The tears continued to pour from his eyes as he leaned over to kiss her gently. He paused, doubting himself. He'd just awoken her once, would another kiss really work? He retreated, red-eyed.
"Doug, I'm sorry," Ben told him, patting him on the back reassuringly. "But the others are right. Evie'd want us to stop Morgana."
Doug nodded weakly. Ben was right. That was exactly what she'd want. He slowly put Evie back down and wiped his tears away. He stood up and turned to face the others. Though he could not see any more than a bunch of blurs, he knew the others were watching him, waiting. Even Mal. He took a deep breath and pocketed the Dragonstone.
What he didn't see were his tears that had rolled onto Evie suddenly glow yellow and disappear.
He trudged over to the others who were beginning to discuss how to find Morgana and the other villains. He kept his head down. It wasn't until he heard footsteps, and could make out the blur of Mal's black army-style boots, did he look up. "Mal?" he questioned, squinting.
"Yeah. Here." She held something out to him. The something was glinting in the faded light.
Doug cautiously took them. My glasses! He shoved them on, blinking at her gratefully. She gave him a small nod before turning back to the matter at hand.
"We could go back to the cottage," Carlos suggested. "Try to contact the others. Get some reinforcements."
"No, too risky," Jay argued. "That's the first place they'd look for us."
"Well, where else can we go? Fairy's Hill?" Ben asked.
"Too exposed," Mal decided. "We need somewhere...hidden...where Morgana would never think to look for us. But not a flashy castle. That's the first place Queenie would check. Can anyone think of anywhere like that?" She glanced around the circle. They all stood there, sheepishly quiet.
"We...could...go to my family's cottage."
Doug gasped, shocked at the words exploding from his mouth. He immediately wanted to take it back, but it was too late. And he knew it was the best option. Ben's castle...obviously out of the question. They weren't safe here. None of the remaining VKs owned any property. And the kingdoms were not protected. Morgana would destroy patrols easier than splitting jello. They needed somewhere secluded. Somewhere off of the map.
Somewhere like the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.
"Doug," Ben interrupted. "Are you sure? What about your family--"
"Visiting Derek in Sherwood Forest," the dwarf cut him off. "We'd be safe there. For a couple of days anyway. That should be enough time to plan our next move--" He stopped with a gasp as a pain shot through his body and his hands immediately flew to his chest as he staggered.
"Doug?" Jay flashed him a concerned look.
"Dude, what's happening?" Carlos added, frowning.
Doug didn't answer as he reached out and caught hold of a post, balancing himself, feeling the pain increase and his breaths become more constricted. The stone shimmered in his pocket. A gasp from Mal caused him to turn with a pained gasp. What he saw nearly made him faint in relief.
Evie.
Breathing.
Evie was alive.
Mal was already at her side, whispering softly to her. The boys quickly gathered around as well, Doug especially. Evie's chocolate brown gaze settled on him as he knelt down beside her. "You did it," she said in a hoarse croak. "You are him, after all."
"Evie," he squeaked. "How...how...you were dead!"
"You," she answered, laying her head back against the hard floor and staring at the ceiling.
"Me? But...but...Evie! I tried! I couldn't do anything!"
"The NeoMerlin has the ability to take life...or give it," Ben explained, coming closer to kneel beside Mal. "Everyone has life. You shared yours. Unconsciously, of course, but it worked. Evie's alive, because of you. And that's the power of a sorcerer."
"Wow," Doug stared at his hands in wonder. "That's...incredible!"
"See?" Evie chuckled. "Told you so."
"Evie..." The tears came back. But this time they were of pure joy. "I'm so sorry! I love you! I love you so much! I'msorryInevertoldyoubeforeand--"
"Doug, stop. I can't understand anything you're saying. And besides, I know."
"You...you do?"
She nodded. "I've always known. Love at first 'Heigh-Ho', right?"
Doug smiled, remembering the first time he'd laid eyes on her, and he hugged her tightly. Evie winced slightly at the squeeze but hugged him back almost as firmly.
"Okay, wow, I'm glad Evie's all right," Jay interrupted. "But we still have to stop Morgana before she takes over Auradon. Yeah? Doug," he adjusted his gaze on the dwarf to stood up, and, with a bit of help from Mal, brought Evie to a weak standing position. "How far to your cottage?"
"About two hours by the crow flies," he answered.
"But...we aren't crows," Carlos pointed out.
"No, but we can still fly. Doug, stone?" Mal held out her hand and he handed the Dragonstone to her, knowing full well what was to follow. "Ben, you have horses in the palace stable don't you?" she went on.
"Of course," Ben nodded.
"All right. So, here's what we're going to do. Doug, go get a mount, then meet us on the front lawn. We can make it in no time if we fly...or...ride."
Doug nodded and took off out the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the purple flash he'd grown so accustomed to, and knew the others had transformed. He ran all the way to the stables (not an easy feat for him), picked out a mount, and quickly tacked it up. Then, he hurried to join the others.
He found them waiting right where they said they'd be. All gathered in a circle. They waited as he rode up to them and seemed to wait for him to take the lead. He noticed a small smile from the blue water dragon he knew was Evie and an exasperated look from Mal. Ben stood between them and nodded to Doug, telling him to start. Doug wheeled his steed around and started for the trees. With that, the others sprang into the air behind him, choosing to glide over the trees rather than maneuver through the forest.
It was fully dark as he rode through the trees. The moon's feeble glow gave little assistance to the group as they passed outside the city's limits and flew (or rode) further and further into the dense shrubbery. They took frequent breaks, for Evie's sake (though she protested repeatedly that she was just fine).
Then, about two-and-a-half hours later, Doug finally rode into a large clearing and slowed his horse to a stop, signaling the others to come down. He stared at his home as his friends transformed back and came to join him.
"Wait...hold on. That's your cottage?" Carlos gasped. "It's...it's enormous! You could fit three of Ben's castles in there easily!"
Doug chuckled as he stared up at the "cottage". "While it might have once held my father and uncles, we had to expand it a bit to accommodate the entire family. As you might imagine, there are a lot of us." He dismounted and took his horse's reigns.
"And you're sure Morgana doesn't know about this place? " Jay asked.
Doug looked at him. "How could she? Now," he went on. "Let me go tether this guy up and then I'll show you all around."