Mal looked worriedly at Ben, who was sleeping in his old bed. She wanted so much to be completely sure of her decision, but this seemed to be the hardest thing she was doing in her life. She ran her fingers over his cheeks thinking about their future.
“Hi.”
When she saw his smile widen, kissed him before he had a chance to say anything.
“The best good morning.”
He celebrated by kissing her again. Still in bed and with his lips pressed to hers, Ben wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to bed.
“Ben.”
He pulled her onto the bed again.
“What?”
“We can't stay here.”
“You said after we pass the barrier everything will be different.” Brushing the strands of purple hair out of his eyes, he stared at her seriously. “What did you mean?”
“Once you asked me to trust you, today I'm asking you, trust me.”
“I'll try.”
He kissed her hands, though he wondered what would happen. Something inside him feared what would happen when they left the Island and went to that Temple of Eros.
“I love you, you know that, don't you?”
“I suspected.” He joked, earning a light slap from her. “I love you too, princess of the Isle.”
“My Prince.”
(...)
“Maleficent knows about Mal and that's certainly not a good sign.”
Hades passed the information on to his daughter's friends.
“And why hasn't she come after us yet?”
Jay asked worriedly.
“We don't know and we're not going to wonder why that is.”
“I need your concentration.” Hades said again starting to get angry at the teenagers' lack of attention. “Thanks. Rashid, you will take Mal and Ben to the temple.” The boy from Wonders raised his hand to ask which made the teacher snort in anger. “What was that orange thing?”
“How can I take them to a place I don't know? As far as my short cat memory can recall I've never been to the temple of Eros.”
Rashid warned.
“Sometimes I forget that you mortals don't know much about my Greece.”
“And also forget that you're not a Greek god anymore.”
Mal spoke receiving the laughter of his friends and the glare of his father.
“Thank you, my dear child, for the wonderful reminder. The temple of Eros does not exist in physical form.” Everyone looked at him with a look of disagreement. “There is no temple of Eros. All over the world there are ruins of Greece, they exist to connect humans to the gods.”
“And how do you know Eros will want to come and talk to them?”
“As I was saying, or trying to say, as long as Mal and Ben are there, you have taken care that nothing, including Maleficent gets in the way of Mal getting the arrow.”
“Why is that? It wasn't that hard to get the other two.”
Mal asked, as she stayed hugged to Ben.
“This arrow is special, because it's not solely up to you, Mal.”
He explained pointing at Ben.
“There was a reason Moros left that arrow with Eros, even though he stole it from him.”
“And what would that be?”
“Only someone who knows true love can have access to the arrow.”
“We need to make sure no one gets close to the couple, right?”
Carlos asked trying to be objective.
“That's basically it.”
“Let's go.”
“Wait, what happens then?” Evie questioned, prompting Hades and Rashid to look at Mal. “I ask, because I know in theory, but what should we expect?”
“That leaves it up to me E.”
Mal didn't want to raise that point. She couldn't have that conversation with her friends. Once the three arrows were in hand, Mal knew what he would do, had made up his mind since his conversation with Grandma Willow. “I'm going to walk a bit.” She said goodbye and climbed up to the roof.
She didn't want to admit that she was scared and that her decision, despite being morally right, was destroying her inside.
“Is that our new meeting place?”
Jay sat down next to her, who soon saw the presence of Carlos and Evie as well.
“We'll take care of you and the prince, if that's what you're worried about.”
Carlos reassured her.
“I know you will.”
“So, what made you come here?”
“I had some thoughts to think about.”
“M., you don't have to answer, but what happens next is the reason you're like this?” Mal just smiled, remaining silent. “And that decision will affect you and all of us?
“Are you sure what you want to do?”
Jay asked hugging her.
“Yes.”
“Can't we change your mind?”
“No, not unfortunately.” Carlos replied. “I want you to know that you are the best gang, friends and family. I love you guys.”
“Why is this sounding like goodbye?”
Evie asked tearfully.
“We're here for you, always.”
They hugged and stayed in that hug until they couldn't anymore.
(...)
“Do you know what her decision is?”
Rashid asked Hades.
“No, but whatever it is, she will suffer.”
He said feeling guilty for his daughter's suffering.
“How can you say that?”
“That's the truth, these arrows are not used when things are quiet. They were designed to be used when the world was in chaos. This is not a fairy tale, Rashid, there is no happy ending here.”
“Do you think it can get any worse?”
Asked starting to get scared.
“It will get worse, I just hope we are ready.”
They had both witnessed wars and seen the world change more than once, but they would never get used to feeling so much fear. It was in this vague space of time that they saw a strange smoke with no specific color enter their room.
“What the...”
Hades would curse and was ready to run.
“That was the worst of the takeoffs. What do you think Felix?”
(...)
Auradon
“Wait, are you telling me these arrows can change time?”
Maleficent asked a history teacher she herself had enslaved.
“Theoretically.”
“How theoretically?”
“They are legends, myths from ancient Greece.”
The poor man replied in fear.
“Humans and their incredulities. In 'theory' where are these arrows?”
“One is in the mortal world, inside a tree, the second in the Temple of Moros and the third in the Temple of Eros.”
Maleficent was silent for a moment. She could easily assume that her daughter and former husband had already found these arrows.
“Is it possible that one of the arrows is in the Underworld?”
“If you think about it Moros and Hades have always had a relation somehow. The god of fate and the god of death, both are inevitable.”
“Shit! Where is the third arrow?”
“You don't have an exact location, like I said those are legends...”
“Answer the question!”
“Eros left some ruins of his temple on Earth.”
“Where?”
“Well...”
YOU ARE READING
Once Upon a Dream
Fanfiction"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you the look in your eyes is so familiar, a gleam and I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem." Ben and Mal's love was one that was being written about for several years. When t...
