027. | THE BREAKING POINT
After half an hour, we stopped on the hill that overlooked the cottage. The boys were nowhere in sight, which meant that they were still out looking for Ben.
"I really hope they found Ben," Mal said.
Uma let out a soft, impressed breath at the sight of Evie's cottage. "Nice digs."
Evie shrugged. "I got a really good deal."
We went inside, and upon entering the living room, we saw Dizzy and the twins asleep on the couch. My heart sank at the fact that they, too, had been affected by Audrey's spell, but it also infuriated me that she would pick on such innocent kids.
While the twins were sleeping peacefully. Dizzy was whimpering and mumbling in her sleep, a frown on her face as she squirmed in place. She's having a nightmare, I realized.
Celia walked over to Dizzy, placing a hand on her forehead to comfort her. "Shh," Celia said. "It's okay." Then, she picked up a blanket and covered the three young children, making sure they were comfortable before she leaned over to speak to Dizzy. "Don't worry, Dizzy. We can fix this. And once we do, they're gonna let all the kids come from the Isle. So..." She paused. "Happy dreams."
Suddenly we heard loud snoring coming from the patio. So we quickly rushed down the stairs, and I gasped when I saw who was asleep on the floor.
Doug.
"Uh, who's the dude?" Uma asked.
Evie rushed over to him, then crouched by his side and said, "Doug." When he didn't move, she poked his shoulder and repeated, "Doug. Wake up. Wake up."
"He's spelled," Uma reminded her, then turned to Mal and asked, "Is she not a fast learner?"
Mal gave her a small shrug. "She's emotionally involved, okay?"
Uma sighed. "Well, in that case, she should be able to wake him up." Evie looked at her in surprise, and Uma gave her a look and explained, "True love's kiss. Works every time."
Evie winced apologetically. "Well, we haven't used the 'L' word yet."
Uma gave Mal a sideways glance as if to say, Really?
Evie looked down at Doug, hesitating for a moment before looking up at us. "Can we be alone?"
Mal, Harley, and I nodded, and we beckoned for Uma to follow.
The four of us went back up the stairs and into the living room, where Celia was busy eating a slice of cake. I plopped down on Evie's couch, putting my head in my hands with a soft sigh.
Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, and Harley asked me, "You okay, Alfredo?"
I jerked my head up, shrugging her hand off before saying sharply, "I'm fine. Just tired."
Harley raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Cause to me it looks like–"
"I said I'm fine!" I snapped. "So just drop it, alright?"
Harley took a step back, lifting her hands in surrender before walking away to speak with Uma. As soon as she was gone, I sighed again and buried my face in my hands once more. I knew that the necklace was doing this to me, but until we could find Audrey, I had to keep it on. It was the only thing that could help us stop her.
I looked up, watching as Harley and Uma served themselves some cake and sat down to eat. Then, Mal came over to me and sat down by my side.
You know what it's doing to you, Freddy, she said through our link. You need to take it off.
We used our link around our friends quite often nowadays, so I wasn't surprised that Mal was using it now. But I was surprised because this time, she sounded muffled and distant, almost as if she was speaking through a wall or was shouting from far away — even though she was right next to me.
I will, I told her. When this is over.
Mal looked at me, shaking her head in obvious defeat. Then she stood up and walked over to Uma.
"That was a really good idea," Mal said to her. "To check Audrey's room. Now we know that we're on the right track."
Uma looked up at her in surprise. "Is there an insult in there that I missed?"
Mal smiled and shook her head. "Just... I wanted to thank you."
Uma continued to stare at her, clearly still surprised, as Mal sat down across from her and cut a piece of cake for herself.
"I'm gonna go check on Evie," Harley said, putting her fork down on her finished plate. "Celia, wanna come with?"
Celia shook her head. "Not really." When Celia looked up and saw the look Harley was giving her, realization suddenly dawned on her face, and she quickly corrected herself, "Never mind, I do. Let's go."
The two then got up and left without another word.
I couldn't help but smile at them. Then, I stood up and walked over to Mal before sitting beside her.
"I don't know whose birthday it is, but I want this cake," Uma said as she ate.
Mal chuckled, staying silent for a moment before she said, "So, I maybe kind of missed the boat a little bit on calling you Shrimpy and not letting you join the gang."
Uma nodded. "Yeah. We really could've torn up the Isle together."
Mal just smiled, swiping off a dab of frosting with her finger and popping it into her mouth. Uma and I both chuckled at her actions, amused by her silliness.
But then, out of nowhere, a wooden board suddenly slammed against the door outside. Mal, Uma, and I whipped our heads around to look at it, only to have more appear out of thin air and board up the entire house.
"Celia!" Uma shouted as we stood up, hoping for a response from the young girl.
"We're trapped!" came Celia's reply, and seconds later she ran up to us and careened herself into Uma's arms.
That's when Harley, Evie, and Doug came running in, just as alarmed as we were.
"Are you guys okay?" Evie asked. "What's going on?"
"It's Audrey!" I said. "She knows we're here!"
At my words, Mal stepped forward and stuck out her hands, her eyes glowing green as she commanded, "You've caused my friends pain and fear. We've had enough, now disappear!"
We waited for the wooden boards to go away, but nothing happened.
"You guys, I'm sorry," Mal said. "My spells aren't working. Audrey's magic is getting stronger."
Frustrated and angry at Audrey, I stuck out my hands, trying to move the boards myself. But they still didn't budge.
Suddenly I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I turned my head to see Uma, holding up her now glowing shell necklace. Her plan instantly clicked in my head, and I took both her and Mal's hand before the three of us shouted, "You've caused our friends pain and fear we've had enough, now disappear!"
There was a moment's pause before the boards began to fall away. Section by section, they fell to the ground and vanished, and sunlight streamed back into the cottage as we breathed out in relief.
"You did it," Evie said to us. "Together." When we looked at her, she smiled and added, "This is what I've been talking about."
"I guess my shell likes you," Uma said. Mal and I laughed at her words, only to stop when she took the ember out of her shell necklace and handed it to Mal. "Why don't you hold on to that?"
Mal looked at her and smiled, giving Uma a fist bump before we all laughed again.
Celia rushed over to the window, peering outside. Then, Binx jumped down from the rafters of the house, landed on Celia's shoulder, and looked out the window as well before turning to us and saying. "Hey, it's King Bennyboo."
Mal's face lit up, and the two of us ran out of the house to see Ben walking up to us, with Jay, Gil, Harry, Carlos, Jane, and Dude the dog following behind him.
"Ben!" Mal cried, giving Ben a giant hug.
"Are you guys okay?" Ben asked, giving me a hug as well.
"Yeah." Mal nodded. "I'm so much better right now. Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Ben replied. Then, he noticed Uma, and he grinned before saying, "I always knew you'd be part of the solution."
Uma just gave him a small, bashful smile.
That was when Harley came up to us, raising an eyebrow at Ben. "What is this?" she asked, poking at Ben's beard.
"Oh, yeah." Ben felt the beard.
"I could get used to this," Harley teased.
Uma stepped up to her, putting two fingers over her mouth as she said, "What about those?"
Ben nodded. "Oh." He opened his mouth and tapped the two fangs that were in place of his human canines.
Mal rolled her eyes. "No."
Ben shrugged. "I like them."
We all laughed before I said to Ben, "Okay, so, we all think that Audrey could be at Fairy Cottage, but we have no idea where it is. Did she ever take you there?"
Ben nodded. "Every Fairy Godmother's Day." Sighing softly, he glanced at Jane. "Where is Fairy Godmother when you need her?"
"I wish I knew," Jane answered.
As Carlos began to speak with her, Mal took me and Ben aside.
"Ben," Mal said. "You remember Winifred Sanderson's black flame candle?"
Ben nodded. "Yeah, the one that was pretty much destroyed except for one piece?"
"Yeah, well..." I sighed, lifting up the necklace. "I'm wearing it."
Ben's eyes widened. "Freddy, that thing is infused with dark magic. It's insanely dangerous and powerful, do you know what could happen if Audrey got it?"
"Which is why I have it," I said. Tucking away the necklace, I added, "And besides, she can't handle the amount of magic that's in here. Only I can."
"But it could kill you," Ben told me.
"It won't," I said. "It might do something worse, but it won't kill me."
Ben cocked his head. "What could be worse than that?"
I shook my head at him. "You're better off not knowing."
Ben held my gaze for a moment, then sighed and nodded. Then, he turned to Doug and took him aside. "Doug, go with Jane. We need to find Fairy Godmother."
Uma slapped at Ben's arm to get his attention. "They might need some muscle," she said.
Doug gave her a wounded look. "Hey."
Gil stepped up to them. "Well, I'll go."
"Yeah, actually, I would feel better," Carlos said.
Evie stepped forward. "Yeah, actually, I'd feel better, too."
"Same," Mal agreed.
Doug sighed. "Actually, I would, too."
"All right, man," Gil said with a grin. "Let's do it."
Jane, Gil, and Doug ran off. Binx, who was on Celia's shoulder, let out a yawn, then blinked at us and said, "This has been way too much action for me for one day. I'm going back inside for a little cat nap." She hopped off Celia's shoulder, then walked towards the house, calling over her shoulder, "Wake me when Audrey's back to normal!"
We chuckled at the feline before heading back into the forest, hoping that we could finally catch Audrey.
When we arrived at Fairy Cottage, it was late at night. The place was left completely unattended, which was worrisome, but I ignored it as Mal, Ben and I snuck up to the front gate. I pushed it open, and Mal beckoned for the others to follow before we crept up to the cottage and pushed open the door.
It was dark, quiet, and empty in the cottage. No one was in sight, and it looked like no one had been insude for hours.
Jay ran upstairs to check for Audrey. But when he came back down, he was alone. "She's not upstairs," he said.
Suddenly we heard to a thumping sound coming from the broom closet. Ben held up a hand for us to stay back before creeping up to the door and peering through the window. Then, he undid the latch and opened it, revealing it to be Chad, who was huddled up in a corner with his knees hugged to his chest.
"Chad?" I asked in disbelief.
Chad looked up at us with a dazed expression. "I want my mommy," he mumbled.
Ben started to help Chad stand, but Chad flinched and recoiled from him. But Ben quickly assured him that it was okay, and Chad eventually stood up and looked at us.
"What happened, buddy?" Ben asked.
Chad looked at him for a moment. Then his face lit up, and he grabbed Ben's shirt and said, "Ben. Ben!" Touching Ben's beard, he said, "Your face." Then, he glanced at us, not even remotely phased that we were there. "She's gone?" he asked. His eyes landed on the open door, and he said to Ben, "The door is open. I'm free." He then let go of Ben's shirt and bolted out the door, screaming, "Freedom!" at the top of his lungs.
We all looked at each other and laughed, amused by Chad's reaction. Then, we left the cottage and went back into the forest to find Audrey.
As we walked, however, a strange feeling of dread suddenly bubbled up inside of me, and I shoved my hands in my pockets. Something really bad was going to happen, I just knew it.
"All right," Uma said. "Let's get this Audrey chick taken care of already." Looking at Mal, Evie, Harley, Celia and I, she asked, "What do you say, girls? Time to wrap things up?"
We all chuckled again, then nodded in agreement.
"You know," Ben said to Mal, "someday, you're gonna have to tell me how you guys all got teamed up."
"Actually, Mal promised to let all the kids off the Isle once this is over," Evie told him.
Much to my surprise, a look of shock appeared on Ben's face at her words. Turning to Mal, he asked quietly, "Mal?"
Mal stopped walking, turning around to face us. Her expression was one of complete guilt, and I knew that whatever she was going to say was not going to be good.
"I have to tell you guys something," Mal said. "Um... I lied to you. The kids won't be coming off the Isle."
I blinked in shock, unable to comprehend her words. "What do you mean?"
"The program is shut down," Mal said, refusing to meet my eyes. "And the barrier... will be closed for good."
"For Auradon's safety," Ben added.
Uma held up a hand. "Hold up. So we're saving your precious people and your behinds for a lie." Mal looked at her with a face full of despair, and Uma laughed dryly. "I knew it was a mistake to trust you. You're always out for yourself."
"And you, King Benny," Harry snapped to Ben. "...You're probably just gonna throw us all back inside."
"You know what?" Celia said to Mal, her voice cracking with sadness and heartbreak. "I actually thought you were brave. You're nothing but a chicken. Too scared to tell me I was never gonna see my dad again."
Celia stormed past Mal, ignoring her calls to come back. But then, Celia snatched the ember from Mal, heading for the nearby bird bath.
"Celia, no!" Mal cried, trying to stop her. But it was too late, for Celia threw the ember into the water and stalked off.
"No!" Mal said, scrambling to grab the ember. Holding it out in front of her, she recited, "Regain your might and ignite!"
Nothing.
"No...," Mal muttered, then repeated, "Regain your might and ignite!"
We all watched as she looked at us, desperation shining in her eyes.
"Bummer," Uma said flatly. Turning to Harry, she said, "Let's go find Gil and leave them all to rot."
"Mind if I come with?" Harley asked the blue-haired girl, shooting Mal a fierce glare.
Uma raised an eyebrow. "Isn't she your friend?"
Harley continued to glare at Mal. "She was. But a friend wouldn't lie to me about my own future."
Uma nodded. "Fair enough. Let's go, Hearts."
"No," Mal called, trying to get them to stay. "Uma! Harley!"
But the three of them were already gone.
I couldn't believe it. Mal had been lying this entire time? All this time, she knew that the kids were never going to get off the Isle. But she didn't even think to tell me.
I could feel my anger rising in my chest, fueled by my disbelief and the necklace around my neck. My heart began to pound, my hands balled into fists, and my chest began to heave in fury.
Mal turned to me. "Freddy..." Her voice cracked. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I just... I thought that... I was afraid to tell you. I thought I was gonna lose you. But I had to do something. I had to protect Auradon."
My anger only kept rising. "Closing the barrier..." I said slowly. "It was your idea?"
"I did it for us," Mal said. "I did it for our life that we have here now."
"For our life?" I repeated. "What about the kids that we left behind on that island? The kids that we promised? We were their only hope." I stomped up to Mal, my eyes blazing with anger. "I thought you were gonna stand up for the VKs. But instead, you lied to them." Pointing to my friends, I said, "And you lied to Evie. And you lied to Jay. And you lied to Carlos." I pointed to myself. "And you lied to me." I backed away, shaking my finger at her. "You lied to me."
Mal stepped forward, reaching for me. "Freddy, please–"
"Don't touch me!" I snapped, slapping her hands away.
Mal kept going. "Freddy, come on. I had no choice!"
"That's total BS and you know it!" I answered harshly. I raised my hands, gathering my magic around them. "You don't deserve our trust. You don't deserve our friendship." I narrowed my eyes, and my entire body was enveloped in black fire. "You don't deserve us."
Mal reached out for me. "Freddy, no!"
But I ignored her, spinning around and launching my black magic at Evie, Carlos, Jay, and Ben. The four of them — as well as Dude the dog — instantly turned to stone, but as I stared at them, I felt absolutely nothing. No pain, no remorse, no regret. Just anger.
"No!" Mal gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Then, she looked at me. "Oh my god, Freddy..."
I looked down at myself. My knee-length purple lace dress and green leather jacket had transformed into a long, black and green dress with a feather cape. The polish of my fingernails had turned black, and when I touched my lips and pulled my fingers away, I saw a black smear of color on my fingertips, meaning my lipstick has turned black as well.
"Freddy, please," Mal pleaded. "You have to take that necklace off and listen to me–"
"Shut up!" I hissed, then raised my hands, using my magic to bind Mal's arms and legs with thick vines.
"Freddy..." Mal tried one more time to reason with me. "Please. I can't lose you, too."
I met her gaze coldly, my entire body void of any emotion. "You just did."
Then I spun around and teleported away in a cloud of green smoke.
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A/N: Before you guys freak, I warned you about this happening last chapter.
Honestly, writing this chapter was kind of hard for me since I love writing Freddy as this sweetheart who also happens to be a total badass, but with that necklace around her neck her sweetness was slowly disappearing, and Mal lying to her was just the last straw.
Anyway, see you next chapter!