Six years later...

A sweet mixture of sweetness and cinnamon hung in the air. Wind slightly whipped through that soft purple hair. Her eyes fluttered opened to take in the scene majestic landscape in front of her. About six kingdoms laid beneath her and in the distance the shadows outlined the barrier of her former home. She took a deep breath as her eyes shifted to the blank easel off to her left. She smirked slightly thinking about the moment that she switched from vandal to Van Gogh.

Mal took a deep breath before fixing her favorite paint shirt. Her fingers ran over the jersey with reverence as she remembered the moment she acquired it. She outlined the seven gently knowing that only love strengthens the threads holding the keepsake together. She moved closer to the easel staring intently at the blank space. So many things whirled inside her head, but all she wanted to focus on was getting something on the canvas.

Her method started with the simple idea of just mixing colors. Soon the colors began to inspire a scene... more an emotion. Her basic colors were dark, almost ominous. She knew these colors well they were breed into her like a scaring birthmark. There was no beauty in the darkness, no love lining the evil that made her shiver and yet she knew there had to be. She wouldn't be in this moment if there wasn't. The next set of colors she began to mix were light, more hope filled. She smiled to herself as the perfect scene came to mind. Her brush started flying across the canvas bringing to life the story of her life.

She stopped for a moment, closing her eyes to picture the view from her favorite spot on the island. She saw the darkness casted by dark buildings rising around her but just over the horizon shone the silver lining of Auradon that she never thought she wanted. A shiver of cold shot through her veins as she remembered the many nights of nightmares and consistent streams of disappointed looks during the day. She couldn't believe that she just accepted it, but knowing that better was truly out there she would never go back.

"Mal?" She didn't open her eyes. She just let her smile stretch bigger on her lips as his arms came to wrap around her waist. She leaned into his embrace as he began to kiss her neck and moved up to her cheeks.

"What are you doing out here," she whispered.

"Well I woke up and you weren't lying beside me so I thought I would come find you to make sure were feeling okay."

"Why wouldn't... oh, no I slept fine last night." She turned to her husband. Just past him was a silver stand up tray with a silver dome over it. "What is that, Ben?"

"Hm? Oh I was wondering if you had breakfast yet." The mention of food reminded Mal's stomach of it hunger. She smiled and gently rubbed her stomach. Ben loved that sweet and satisfied look on her face. She glowed in a different way, a way that he would never forget.

She smiled at her thoughtful husband. He never ceased to show her what love was, and she knew that would never stop. "I am hungry."

"I bet you are," he chuckled as she picked up his hand. He kissed her cheek again as she put his hand over her stomach. "You are eating for two, after all."