Once Upon a Dream

Whose fault is it?

Wonderland

It was hard not to feel responsible. Rashid saw his happiness at having saved the world turn into a quick rush to protect his friends. When he saw Ruby finally being trapped in the mirror world he thought that this was the long-awaited happy ending. And seeing everything going so well at that moment made him forget about returning home. After taking Mal to the isle, he went back to Merlin's house and stayed there for three days. The problem was not how long he stayed with his friend, but how long it took him to remember that he had taken responsibility for a person, or rather a fairy. The most evil fairy of all.

When he saw Benjamin banished to the Isle of the Lost he began to suspect that something must be wrong, and it didn't take long to see the world really come unstuck. Maleficent took the kingdom before her eyes. He saw White Queen allying herself with Fairy Godmother and so many other magical creatures who entered a fight against the Evil Fairy. In addition to Maleficent being in the fullness of her powers, she had her wand in hand. A losing fight, for knowing all those people I knew they were not prepared for a battle like that and Rashid knew it. They didn't use their powers often, White Queen for example had done a spell a year ago. Maleficent, however, she connected with the magic in Auradon as soon as she stepped foot in the kingdom. He saw her eyes glow like two green flames still when he was in Camelot.

She didn't do much but run to protect the people of Wonderland. It didn't accomplish much, less than twenty people came out unharmed from the mass destruction done by her. Auradon knew nothing about what happened from Ruby to Cirse and the Book of Fairy Tales. Although, together with Cedric and company he saved the entire kingdom, he did it together with Maleficent and never that Auradonians were going to accept that. The fault was not in having accepted help from the worst villain in the world, but in having forgotten who she was. It was his fault. The one who got her off the Isle was Rashid, the one who spent all this time by her side was him, and the one who forgot her in Wonderland was also him.

Guilt had been consuming Rashid since the beginning of the events. Six months living with fear and guilt. That only changed when his brain reminded him of the Book of Fairy Tales. That time was a great void in history, for there would not be a tale about it. The book along with Cedric had disappeared and he knew that would remain until when the guardian could return. It was a lot for an object that was only supposed to describe the events in the life of a couple. That was his friend's explanation.

The Book of Fairy Tales was getting tired and needed a break. What would happen when this time was up was hard to say. A time erased. Without history, a hundred years from now no one could know that Maleficent once reigned over Auradon. But, what could be powerful enough to stop the woman who seemed to have all power in her hands? Everyone she considered to be powerful was trapped on an island without magic.

(...)

Isle of the Lost

Mal was not naive. Ingenuity was on the part of anyone who believed they could fool her or lie to her.

There were days when she was suspicious that Ben was hiding something, but initially she didn't say anything, because she had learned to trust. However, who she didn't trust and would never put her trust in was the people on the Island, especially with the hatred they were feeling for Ben.

This morning when he left part of her wanted to keep her trust in him and go back to sleep, but the part that was screaming inside her now said how dangerous it was to let her boyfriend walk alone, without her or her friends. She didn't have to go very far, because just as she turned the corner of her house she saw him run to the opposite side of the street from where they used to buy food. She wouldn't go after him, Ben had lied and now she needed to tell the whole truth.

"Where were you? And please tell the truth."

She was sitting up in bed and her countenance was not that of a nervous mother, but of someone upset and saddened by the lie.

"Mal." Ben was not good at lying and he knew it. Looking at his girlfriend and her countenance he knew he had to speak the truth. "I...my parents...I've been visiting them."

"You what? Why?"

Her eyes widened at that information.

"They are my parents."

He stated the obvious. Nothing would change the fact that Belle and Adam were her family.

"And they locked you up here."

Mal objected, what parents lock up their own child on a miserable island?

"And what difference does that make now? One way or another we would all be here."

"Okay, so according to your point of view I could go after my mother?"

"No Mal." He rolled his eyes at her argument. "My parents didn't keep me here because they wanted to, but now because of me they are not accepted among the people."

"And that's an excuse for you to go there? Ben, look what they did to you last week." Mal lifted the boy's blouse so that he could see the bruises he had acquired. "Even more so knowing what day it is today."

"Mal, you are right in everything you said, but they are still my family and that will never change. My parents are not to blame for anything that happened before and for Maleficent taking over the kingdom."

"And who is to blame, us?" She looked at him searching for an answer. "You think it's our fault? I didn't choose to fall in love with you! I didn't ask to dream about you, let alone have you live with me!" She yelled at him.

"I know, but I did, I chose you!"

He spoke even louder.

"And apparently it wasn't the right choice, was it?"

She turned away from him and just as Ben was about to challenge her a loud shout was heard.

"NEW PEOPLE!"

Several people shouted, which meant that the barrier was opened and new people were poured in there, yet neither Mal nor Ben got out of there

"You guys don't know who just arrived."

Carlos shouted entering the house.

"Are we interrupting anything?"

Jay asked seeing the countenance of his friends.

"No, which pink princess has arrived?"

Mal asked turning his attention away from that fight with his boyfriend, who didn't like it when they didn't settle their personal issues.

"Sleeping Beauty's daughter."

Evie spoke up and was about to start laughing along with her friend, who seemed to have already thought of a wry comment.

"Audrey is here?"

Ben asked incredulously.