Chapter 39: Stories

"Look who's awake!" A voice boomed from the door opening.

Mal was just finishing breakfast, sitting up straight against a whole bunch of pillows and Ben sitting on his chair beside her.

She looked up and saw a very enthusiastic Jay and Carlos enter her room. Ben had arranged for everyone to be able to visit Mal today. But, just to be sure she wouldn't get overwhelmed, they would come in groups.

Evie, Jay and Carlos would naturally be the first to see her, afterwards they would be joined by Doug, Jane, Lonnie and Jordan. Mal had asked if Freddie would come to see her as well, but Ben had told her that Freddie was still in somewhat of shocked condition. The righteous sons would be the last to come visit her and Ben would naturally remain by her side for the entire day.

After having woken up the previous day, and having her stomach filled with a healthy breakfast, Mal had actually wanted to leave her room and walk around a bit. Ben resolutely forbid this though, saying that Mal would have to relax to make sure her injuries would optimally heal.

And so, Mal had eagerly waited the entire morning for her friends to show up, which they eventually did.

"Hey guys." Mal said with a happy smile as they approached her bed.

She was first hugged by Carlos, and then by Jay.

"We're so glad you're okay, we really missed you." Carlos said as he sat himself down at the end of Mal's bed.

"I missed you too, and I'm so sorry guys." Mal pleaded.

"Don't. We have already forgiven you and we're just glad that you'll fully recover." Jay told her.

"But guys, I went behind your back. I went back to the isle without telling you. You have every right to hate me." Mal responded.

"But we don't, Mal. Sure, we're not happy with what you did but you're still our sister and we'll be there whenever you might need us." Carlos reassured her as he took her hand in his own.

Mal smirked but had to wipe away the tears that had started forming in her eyes.

"Aww, has someone finally grown emotions?" Jay joked as he softly patted her on the shoulder.

"Can't you just let me be happy for a second?" Mal asked with a smile before looking over their shoulders. "Where's Evie?"

Both Jay and Carlos started fidgeting around a bit.

"Guys?" Mal asked.

"Ehm, well. She's still kind of upset Mal." Jay eventually said.

"She's still somewhat disappointed that you went behind our backs. We've tried talking to her, but she has slightly distanced herself from us the last couple of days." Carlos added.

"She didn't come with you?" Mal asked in a sad tone.

"No, she's here. Right now, she's visiting Freddie, but she will join up with us eventually." Carlos quickly replied.

"Oh, okay." Mal responded.

"How long before you are allowed to leave?" Carlos then asked, trying to change the subject.

Mal gave Ben a questioning look and so he answered.

"Definitely more than a week. The ribs are the main problem, but the doctors expect that she'll make a full recovery." Ben explained.

"Good." Jay replied. "And when you get better, we'll give Harry Hook and his thugs something to think about." He said before punching his own fist.

"Do you really believe revenge should be the top priority now?" Carlos inquired.

"Look at what they've done to her! Are you saying that you don't want to get back at them?" Jay asked incredulously.

Carlos shrugged. "I'm angry, sure I am. But I don't believe we should risk any more people getting hurt."

"We may not have very much of a chance if what Freddie told us is true." Jay replied in a harsh tone. "Has Ben brought you up to date yet?"

"Everything about Solomon and the black cauldron? Yes. He has told me." Mal replied.

"So, what do you think?" Jay hesitantly asked.

Mal shrugged to the best of her ability, since her injured ribs still did not allow her to move freely. "I'm not sure. He could have been lying, maybe simply to provoke us. Maybe he hopes that we'll all go back to the isle, so he can finish us off."

"That was also one of my theories." Carlos added.

"But Uma and Harry were both in on the plan. They would never join up with Solomon if he wouldn't be able to offer them something huge. Furthermore, Solomon was able to steal Freddie's magic, I have no idea how he did that." Mal continued.

Both Jay and Carlos sadly cast their eyes downward.

"How's Freddie doing?" Mal hesitantly asked.

"Not so good. She's still very much shaken up about losing her magic, but now also feels very guilty about you getting wounded when trying to get her out." Carlos explained.

"Oh my god, I need to talk to her." Mal said.

"She'll come by later today, don't pressure yourself too much Mal." Ben told her as he softly stroked her arm.

They all suddenly heard a soft coughing noise come from the door opening.

When everyone turned around they saw Evie standing there, trying and failing to keep up a determined expression.

"Evie!" Mal exclaimed and she tried to sit up even more straight. She quickly felt the sharp pain in her chest again though and fell back down with a yelp.

This broke Evie's last resolve and she hurried over to Mal's bed, pushing Ben out of the way, and eagerly hugged her best friend.

"You are so stupid!" she cried as she put her arms around Mal's upper body more tightly.

Mal started crying too and eagerly hugged Evie back. "I'm so sorry, Evie!"

"You should be! You went behind our backs! And now Freddie has lost her magic and you have been beaten to a pulp!" Evie yelled through her cries.

Mal felt her heart sink in her chest. Evie just said everything that Mal had feared she might say. Evie blamed Mal for everything and Mal found it hard to argue with her.

"I'm so sorry, Evie. I know I screwed up and you have every right to be angry at me." Mal sobbed.

"Just shut up, will you." Evie softly said as she let go of Mal and stepped back a bit to look at her. "Look at you, look at what they've done."

"I deserve it, I was so stupid." Mal said as she put her head in her hands.

"Hey! Don't ever say anything like that again!" Ben loudly told Mal as he grabbed her hands. "Nobody deserves what has happened to you, Mal. But you least of all people."

"But Ben…" Mal began.

"No! Mal, you are a good person. The best. You went in there to save Freddie! Sure, you didn't tell us, but what you did was brave and for a good cause. Please don't ever tell yourself that you deserve more pain." Ben begged of her.

Evie suddenly made a weird, high-pitched sound and once again pulled Mal into a tight hug. "Don't ever scare me like that again, Mal! From now on, we'll do everything together."

Mal felt herself get overwhelmed by emotions. Here she was, in a hospital bed with numerous broken bones. Surrounded by people who she loved, and who loved her. If she had not been sure already, she sure was now. She would never let anything that could tear them apart happen again.

Mal woke up again.

She had spent the entire morning with Evie, Carlos, Jay and Ben. They had later been joined by Doug, Jane, Lonnie and Jordan, who all tried their best to make Mal feel better. Their joyful reunion was quickly cut short when the discussions regarding Solomon and the black cauldron began again.

The Auradon kids had no idea who he was but took the matter into serious consideration when they heard the way in which the VK's spoke of him.

They had naturally all heard of the black cauldron, which had been a powerful and famous artifact in the war. Ever since Mal and Freddie had returned from the isle, everyone had scanned history books to find any reference to the cauldron. Common knowledge was that it had been destroyed during the war and they had checked to see if anything could be found to disprove that claim.

All these discussions quickly tired Mal, and so Ben had ushered all the others out so that Mal could have her bandages changed before resting again.

When Mal woke up again, it was almost four o'clock. Ben wasn't in her room at the moment, but Mal didn't panic. There were numerous reasons why Ben could have left, and she knew that he would come back eventually.

Mal looked down at her body again. The bandages on her arm and chest had been changed and several of the band aids had been removed. Most of the cuts had been healed, but several stitches were still clearly visible.

Mal had been shocked when she had heard from the doctors how many scars would remain after her trip to the isle. While her face would fully heal, multiple cuts on her arms and stomach would probably never disappear.

The pain in her head had mostly disappeared though and Mal couldn't be more thankful for that.

The door to her room suddenly opened and Mal looked up, expecting to see Ben enter.

It wasn't Ben, it was Freddie.

"Freddie!?" Mal exclaimed when Freddie slowly entered the room and closed the door behind her. She was wearing similar pajamas to Mal's but wore her jacket over them.

"Hi Mal." Freddie said timidly as she approached Mal.

"What are you doing here?" Mal asked as she slowly sat up straight.

"I wanted to see you. I-I needed to see." She softly replied as she moved closer to the bed. "Oh Mal, I'm so sorry. Look what happened to you! And it's all my fault!" she suddenly yelled before starting to cry.

"Woah, Freddie! Please calm down!" Mal said as she put out her arms to give Freddie a hug.

Freddie accepted the hug and for about a minute the two didn't exchange any words.

"God, I was so stupid!" Freddie abruptly cried out.

Mal just tightened the hug. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known what they would have done."

"But it is my fault, Mal! It is! I pretty much ordered you to teleport me to the isle and then I went and got myself captured. It's all my fault that you're hurt." Freddie sobbed.

"No, Freddie! You didn't do this to me! I chose to teleport you to the isle, and it was my decision to go to the isle myself later. You don't have to blame yourself Freddie. You were right, it felt kind of fun at first to break the rules again." Mal tried to reassure her.

"But look at what happened to us! I lost my magic, and you, oh Mal." Freddie wailed.

"Freddie!" Mal said with determination. "It's no use to keep wallowing in the past. We have to learn from our mistakes and look for ways to improve the future."

Freddie's sobs slowly quieted down and once she regained her cool she nodded.

"I need to know some things Freddie. The things that happened to you on the isle. I need details." Mal said.

"I know, and I will tell you everything." Freddie replied.

"So, is it true? Was it Solomon who took your magic?" Mal asked.

"Yes." Freddie answered with repressed anger. "It was him."

"And is it true that he said that he had the black cauldron?" Mal followed up.

"That's what he told me."

"But did you see it?"

"No. He only said that he had it."

"So, he could have been lying. Maybe he was just trying to scare us?" Mal offered.

"Maybe, I don't know." Freddie replied.

"Did he say anything else? Anything that might be important?" Mal asked.

Freddie closed her eyes in an attempt to remember everything. "He said that he had escaped the day that you accidentally brought down the barrier. He told me that the horned king had managed to transfer some of his magic to him."

"How?" Mal asked.

"I don't know. But it apparently allowed him to pass through the barrier when it returned." Freddie answered.

"What!? Ben mentioned nothing about that. If that's true, then he could escape any time he wants!" Mal panicked.

"We don't know if it's true, or if he's still able to do it." Freddie tried to comfort Mal.

"Oh Freddie, we're in such a mess." Mal complained with a vague smile.

Freddie patted her hand. "We sure are."

"Alright, what else did he say?" Mal requested.

"Ehm, okay. So, he said that he escaped the isle and went to Auradon. He told me that he had found the cauldron but needed a more powerful magic source to activate it or whatever. That's why he needed me, he initially wanted me to join him." Freddie recited.

"What!? You!? Join up with him!?" Mal blurted out.

"Exactly. Totally nuts." Freddie agreed.

"And you refused?" Mal inquired.

"Of course! You know who he is! And he told me he wanted to destroy Auradon and kill all of you! So, I told him he could shove it up his ass." Freddie said.

"Oh, he must not have been happy."

"That's an understatement." Freddie shrugged.

"So, he told you that he had found the cauldron and wanted to use it to destroy Auradon?" Mal asked.

"Pretty much."

"So, do you think he was lying?"

Freddie shrugged. "I'm not sure. He seemed really convincing and CJ told me that she had seen the cauldron. I see no reason why she would lie about that."

Mal felt the anger inside her rapidly rise when CJ was mentioned. "Was CJ working with him?" She asked in a harsher tone than she intended.

"NO! No! Mal, I know what you're thinking, but CJ was being blackmailed or something." Freddie quickly tried to reassure her.

"Ben told me that CJ brought Solomon to you." Mal continued.

Freddie fidgeted a bit. "Well, that's true. But she didn't do it voluntarily. So, apparently Solomon wanted me, or at least my magic, for his plan. He knew that CJ and I were friends on the isle, so he planned on using her to get to me."

"And CJ agreed to do that? Sounds like she didn't exactly take your best interests into account." Mal replied.

"No! He threatened her! If CJ wouldn't have helped Solomon, he would have hurt her. She's been having a really tough time on the isle since I've left. She's been all alone with both Harriet and Uma on her bad side, and then Solomon shows up as well." Freddie pleaded.

Mal felt a slight sense of pity for CJ but pushed it aside. "But, did she know what Solomon would do to you?"

"No. She had no idea. She told me herself. Mal please. I know that you and CJ have not been too friendly with each other, but she is my friend and she's in danger. I wanted to ask you if maybe…" Freddie began.

"NO! Freddie, no! I know what you're gonna ask. But there's no way that CJ Hook will take on step on Auradon ground on my watch." Mal said convinced.

Freddie hung her head. "Mal. If I could just…"

"No, Freddie! I'm very sorry, but I have to put my foot down here. You know what happened between us, I can't just forget that." Mal stated.

"I know what has happened between the two of you, and I'm not saying that you should become best buddies or whatever. But can't you forgive her? Mal, you're here in Auradon and in a relationship with Ben. What if Ben had never forgiven your mother, or you for everything you have done?" Freddie stubbornly continued.

Mal was both perplexed and angry. "Don't compare what I have done to Ben to what CJ and I have done to each other. And this goes both ways. I bet CJ told you she never wanted to go Auradon anyway."

Freddie started fidgeting with her sleeve again. "She may have said those exact words."

"Then why fight for her?" Mal exclaimed.

"Because she doesn't know what she wants! She's in danger and is still too stubborn to accept anyone's help." Freddie almost yelled.

"Well, that's her problem then." Mal said as she crossed her arms.

Freddie seemed shocked. "How can you say that? I know she's not your favorite person, but are you willing to just leave her to her fate?"

"Like she has done to me, you mean?" Mal replied.

Freddie did not have a response to this, and instead just sadly hung her head.

"Freddie, I'm sorry if I disappointed you. But please remember that I'm only thinking about what's best for the kingdom. Bringing CJ here, that would be madness. Out of everyone on the isle, I would expect her to be one of the last ones to adapt." Mal pleaded.

"Alright, it's just… She was my best friend on the isle." Freddie said in a soft voice.

"I know, but then you of all people should know how dangerous she can be."

Freddie nodded again and turned her head away from Mal.

When things just started to really get awkward, the door suddenly opened, and Ben and Archer came in.

"Freddie!" Ben exclaimed. "You're here!? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to Mal." Freddie replied.

Both Freddie and Mal looked at Archer. His left upper leg had a hefty dose of bandages wrapped around it and the side of his head was also covered by a large band aid. He was supported by two crutches but smiled broadly at them nonetheless.

"Glad to see that you're both okay." Archer told the two girls as he limped into the room.

"Oh my god, Archer." Freddie exclaimed as she approached Archer and gave him a big hug. "You got hurt and it was all because of me."

"Don't worry about it." Archer told Freddie as the two separated. "I'm a soldier, I get injured all the time."

"But not like this." Freddie continued in a sad tone as she let go of Archer.

"It's pretty much my exact job to do these kinds of things. Really Freddie, I'm fine." Archer replied as he let himself drop down onto the chair next to Mal's bed. "Good to see that you're awake too." He said as he turned to Mal.

Mal reached out to him and they shared a brief hug. "Thank you so much for everything, Archer. I'm so sorry for bringing you guys into all this."

"Don't bother. It was quite exhilarating. A wonderful story to recite for later in my life." Archer said with a vague hand gesture.

"The tale of how someone finally managed to wound the incredible Archer in battle." Ben added as he sat down next to Mal on the other side of the bed. "How did it happen exactly? You haven't given much details yet."

"Yeah, how many men did it take?" Freddie piped in.

Archer sighed. "I would love to tell you a story of how I bravely fought off twenty brutes twice my size, but the truth is a different matter."

"You were beaten one on one?" Mal asked perplexed.

Archer put up his hands. "Woah. I was not beaten, okay. I won the fight, with just a few injuries."

"Who did this to you? Could you see the person's face?" Freddie asked.

"Yep, I most certainly could." Archer said clearly.

"Who was it? Was it Harry, or Uma?" Ben continued.

"No. I have no idea who she was." Archer replied.

"She!?" Mal exclaimed. "You were beaten by a girl?"

"Again, I was not beaten!" Archer repeated slightly agitated. "But yes, it was a girl who did this."

"What did she look like?" Mal asked, slightly suspicious.

"Ehm, she had long, blonde hair. Wore a red coat and boots. She was quite pretty to be honest." Archer told.

"CJ!" Mal immediately said as she gave Freddie a meaningful look.

"Who?" Archer asked.

"CJ Hook, she's the daughter of captain Hook and Harry's younger sister." Mal explained.

"Well, that explains a lot." Archer said. "She was an excellent fighter."

"She's a royal pain in the ass as well." Mal said.

"Mal!" Freddie whined.

"No Freddie. Don't you see it now? CJ was the one who injured Archer! And that was after they had let you go! Don't you think that maybe her allegiance has shifted somewhat?"

Freddie did not respond and both Ben and Archer gave both girls a questioning look.

"I get the feeling that there's some history here." Ben eventually said in a hesitant tone.

"You're right about that feeling." Mal said scornfully. "CJ and I have been at each other's throats ever since we were children."

"Oh." Ben said to the point.

"We clashed constantly when we were still on the isle, but she and Freddie were close friends." Mal continued.

"Oh?" Ben looked at Freddie in a surprised way.

"At least I occasionally tried to bury the hatchet between you two." Freddie spat.

Mal ignored her. "CJ was also the person that brought Solomon to Freddie, so we can expect that the two of them work together."

"No, Mal! I just told you that he is blackmailing her! CJ didn't want any of this." Freddie yelled.

"How can you still defend her after everything she has done? She brought Solomon to you, she wounded Archer! Is that not enough?" Mal retorted.

"I know that she is not doing this out of free will! She is being forced! She was my friend and I just want her to be safe!" Freddie countered.

Mal wanted to angrily reply, but felt Ben softly put a hand on her shoulder. "Mal, please don't stress yourself."

"Sorry Ben, but I can't sit back on this issue. You don't know CJ, she's a horrible person." Mal told him.

"She is not!" Freddie almost screamed. "Mal, the two of you have had your little rivalry since you were children. It's been going on for so long that you're now both too stubborn to call it quits. But you've both changed, in a good way. CJ has become more responsible and caring, and you have learned to forgive."

"I will not forgive her." Mal said through a clenched jaw. "She's done too much."

"Mal." Ben said softly. "I don't know what has transpired between the two of you, but you know my opinion on forgiving past grievances."

"I do." Mal replied as she grasped Ben's hand. "But it's like you said, you don't know about this, and sorry but I will not forgive her for what she has done."

Ben hung his head. "You know that I won't stop from trying to persuade you."

Mal gave Ben's hand a squeeze. "I know." She replied lovingly.

Archer had not said a word for the larger part of the conversation and was mainly alternating between glancing at either Mal or Freddie.

Freddie looked both angry and disappointed but refrained from arguing any further.

"There is something else I wanted to ask you." Archer suddenly said.

"What is it?" Ben replied.

"When we got out, away from the isle I mean, I saw someone. From the boat, I could see someone on the shore. A guy in a brown trench coat and a mask made to look like a skull. Do you know who that was?" Archer asked.

"That's Solomon." Freddie immediately answered. "He designed that stupid mask himself to mimic his father."

Archer's look darkened after Freddie told him this.

"Why? What's with Solomon?" Mal asked.

"I've met him before." Archer told the others.

"What? How is that possible? You've never been to the isle." Ben responded perplexed.

"I did not see him on the isle. I encountered him once in Auradon."

"When?" Mal asked, both suspicious and slightly panicking.

"It was just before cotillion. Me and the guys were heading back to Auradon City, when we came across a body on the road. We tracked down the killer and found him." Archer explained.

"What!?" Everyone in the room exclaimed.

Archer continued. "We tried to arrest him, but he resisted. He managed to wound everyone in the troop except for me and he killed one soldier."

"Oh my god, Archer. Why have you not told me of this?" Ben asked.

"The guy escaped by jumping into a river and the following investigation was a dead end. We decided to let the official authorities handle the rest." Archer answered.

"So, Solomon was in Auradon?" Mal asked.

"If he was the guy in the mask, then yes." Archer replied.

"Did you find out what he was doing here?" Ben asked.

"He had killed the person to steal his vehicle. Our eventual guess was that he was transporting something." Archer explained.

Mal gave Ben and Freddie a terrified look. "He was transporting something!" she said to them. "What if it was the cauldron?"

Freddie put her hands in front of her mouth and Ben just looked perplexed.

"That was my guess as well." Archer said.

"So, he was speaking the truth." Mal said to no one in particular.

"We can't know that for sure." Ben offered, though he sounded anything but convinced.

"Ben." Archer began. "If half the things I've thus far heard about this Solomon are true, and he now has possession of the black cauldron, we have a problem."

Ben nodded but did not speak.

"According to Freddie, Solomon also has the ability to pass through the barrier whenever he wants to." Mal added.

This announcement shocked Ben and Archer even more.

"You never told us!" Ben said to Freddie.

"I forgot. Only when I just talked to Mal it all came back." Freddie told the others in an apologetic tone.

"This is getting far too serious. A dangerous villain possesses one of the most powerful and terrible magical relics of all time and can apparently pass through the barrier at will." Archer summed up.

"He's also working with Uma." Mal added. "And maybe even more people that we may not know about"

"That's right." Archer agreed before turning to Ben. "Ben, we must prepare for a war."

Ben paled at this but nodded. "Everything to keep the people safe. We have to double down on security around the isle, nothing crosses the bay without us knowing."

Mal was both scared about everything that was going on, but also admired Ben for the leadership abilities he now showed off.

"Don't you think we have to go beyond that?" Archer asked. "We know that the cauldron is on the isle, we need to destroy it before it can hurt anyone."

"I will not risk open war." Ben stated with authority. "Attacking the isle would mean opening up the barrier, and we wouldn't know who or what else may come out."

"Otherwise we might risk bringing the fight to Auradon." Archer urged. "We need to strike as soon as possible!"

"You are not the leader of this kingdom, Archer. I appreciate your council, but I cannot just make decisions like these on the bounce. Tomorrow I will inquire with the other rulers and I do want you to be there." Ben said.

Archer bowed his head. "Of course, you're right."

"I will contact the coastguard and set up a permanent perimeter around the isle at once." Ben announced.

"I will alert the authorities immediately." Archer said as he awkwardly tried to stand up with his crutches.

"Archer, don't trouble yourself. I will message them as soon as I can. You need to rest, my friend, whether you like it or not." Ben told him.

"Screw rest! My leg has pretty much healed already." Archer said as he carefully put some weight on his bandaged leg. Barely a second after his foot fully supported him, it gave out and Archer would have tumbled to the floor if Freddie hadn't caught him.

"Pretty much healed, eh?" Ben sarcastically told Archer.

Archer didn't reply and only sourly used his crutches for support again.

"Freddie, can you please make sure that Archer goes back to his room and has some rest?" Ben requested.

"Of course." Freddie replied as she put a hand on Archer's shoulder.

"I'm not a child." Archer complained.

"Just behaving like one." Freddie joked with a mocking smile. She then waved at Ben and Mal before exiting the room with Archer.

Ben and Mal were now alone once again and at first, they only looked at each other.

"What's going through your mind?" Mal asked.

Ben shrugged. "Fear and excitement mostly. I've never had to command an army in an actual war."

"The bad guys won't stand a chance." Mal said lovingly as she stroked Ben's arm.

Ben gave her a look that was hard to place for Mal, his eyes seemed both loving and fearful and he was biting his lip.

"What?" Mal asked as she pulled Ben into bed with her.

"I'm just thinking… I don't wanna lose you, ever." Ben began.

"You won't." Mal tried to reassure him. "I will always be at your side."

"You can never be certain in a war." Ben replied with a slight tremble in his voice.

And then a new thought popped into Mal's head. A thought of Ben getting killed in some sort of battle, and Mal being left all alone. Now that she knew him, Mal could hardly imagine a world without Ben by her side. It was painful just to think about and, to her shame, she felt tears welling up. Mal tried to ban these images from her mind and instead hugged Ben tightly. "I'm not going anywhere. We'll stay together, always."

"Always." Ben replied before he kissed her.

So, that's the end of the first part. The story will continue in a new document, so stay tuned for updates.

A big thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with the story!

Please review if you feel like it, I appreciate all feedback.