Once Upon a Dream

The Book and the Truth part 2

It was impossible, but they were in a world where literally anything was possible.

"Can we now talk peacefully?"

Merlin asked, when after a short time of convincing Ben, Mal and Rashid returned to the hut.

"No, you guys are going to explain everything now, no half-truths and stories without context."

Ben asked almost as if he was ordering them.

"And you will answer all our questions."

Mal added.

"That's not how it works guys."

Rashid teased, seeing the young men bossing them around.

"Okay, fine." Merlin agreed yielding to the younger's will. "We will say everything, time is passing faster and faster."

"What did you mean by that?"

Ben asked, "It has nothing to do with you.

"Nothing that's any of your business right now. Well, I guess now that you know everything it's easier. Well, the Enchantress, aka Circe, made a prophecy that spoke of the union of you two and no, I'm not going to talk about the prophecy. What is of interest to you two to know is that from the time you were born until today, all your days have been written in the Book."

Merlin explained calmly. "Actually, it's not every day, it's the days that lead you up to now."

"So, that Book there determined whose children we would be?"

Mal asked

"Not necessarily."

"I can talk about that? Cedric once commented to me."

Rashid asked, already taking his place to speak

"Actually, when Cirse played the prophecy on his father, the story had already begun to be written. However, when Cirse did this, there was automatically a projection onto Ben that was already programmed to happen. In the same way Maleficent, she would have given birth to you one way or another, but the Book had spotted you and determined you to be a main character in it.

"So, he wanted to pick us?"

Ben questioned to see if at some point this would all make sense.

"Yes, it was his choice to have you and Mal as characters. You all need to know, there's a lot that neither we nor anyone else knows." Merlin continued the explanation. "Now, the years passed and the Book had to take care of the meeting of you. So, it gave the opportunities for you Mal, to become interested in Auradon and you Ben, to create curiosity for the Isle of the Lost."

"Were we drawn in then?"

Ben asked looking at Mal.

"Yes. When at the appointed time you were effectively introduced to each other."

"When? The day of the accident?"

"No, the dreams. Initially it was Ben, your dreams matched you to a totally different zone than your own and presented you with a girl with green eyes, purple hair to whom you were strongly attracted and eager to care for." Mal looked at him with rosy cheeks. "To you Mal, it took a while. But in your dreams, you saw a place that you could live in peace with yourself, while you met a boy who just by his voice conveyed confidence and feelings that you had not known until that moment."

" Okay, enough." Mal interrupted the wizard. "Why is that? What is the need? These were not dreams, these were nightmares. It's not funny, we are not the puppets for this stupid book. "Mal couldn't stand it and became perturbed.

"I agree with Mal, what's the need for that? We spent months lost trying to understand all that. It was no fun, we had a life and during these nightmares everything stopped. I have a kingdom and I need to learn how to rule it."

Ben also threw the plates on the table.

"I'm not going to be a part of that. I have a life and I'm not going to let a book decide what I should do."

The daughter of Maleficent, burning with rage, got up from that wooden bench and headed for the exit.

Merlin with a huge anger at their immaturity and a nervousness that left his heart in his hand, made a quick spell, which cast a wind and locked the door. "Sit there now! You'll hear everything, then if you want to disappear and forget it's your responsibility." Ben and Mal looked at each other and agreed to go back. "Listen, everything up to now, has been planned out in detail. The dreams, the worries, the difficulties. Everything around you was provided for you to find yourselves."

"Until the accident? You mean the day I accidentally ran over Evie?"

"That's when things started to go awry. Cedric was supposed to stay hidden in the forest, just like all the other guardians do, but something happened and to protect the Book he moved to Auradon. The purpose was to get you two to know each other no matter what. Ben, that week you were confused, worried and wanting to hit an instinct in you that you don't usually use, since, your reason is what screams in you. It happened in a way it shouldn't have, but the story stuck, you met."

"Merlin, I think you'd better get a move on."

Rashid asked, because if the wizard talked too much, fine, they have already talked much more than they should, but there was a limit.

"Okay. You guys have fallen in love." Mal and Ben looked at each other embarrassed and worried that someone knows so much of their story besides themselves. "And so far, so good, but atmosphere changed, the Book found itself threatened and started to push forward a lot of things, all so that the story would continue."

"You talk about history, what history anyway? A villain's daughter and a prince? Doesn't sound like something anyone would die for."

Mal though

"The story, by the way, the context and purpose is only revealed to the guardian. You are technically characters."

Rashid clarified for them.

"Cedric began to weaken when the Book began to be in danger."

"Why was the Book in danger?"

"Someone interfered with the story. Someone knew that there was a new one being written and somehow got wind of you two and managed to interfere. When your father learned that you and Mal were meeting, it was not planned. You separated and caused an interference in the whole context."

"Who was it?"

"We don't know yet. What happened was, when a third party interfered with the pages, it affected Cedric, who, to protect everyone and you, handed the book to Rashid..."

"Wait, so basically we're here because the Book is in danger?"

Ben interrupted the magician

"Yes."

" You said it was our choice to believe and abide by it. My choice is no, I don't believe and I'm going back to my place, the Isle of the Lost."

Mal said, getting up again.

"You guys..."

"Look, this house is wooden, it's not that hard to destroy it. Let us go. Now."

Mal ordered and Rashid saw in the girl Maleficent in front of him.

" Okay."

" Okay?"

Rashid asked in distress.

"It is your choice. But it is late and there is no electricity here and Rashid teleports badly at night."

Merlin told them

"Ok, we will spend the night here."

Ben said and Mal agreed with him, even though at that moment they wanted distance from each other.

Did you like it? Next chapter has #bal