The Archer's Legacy

★彡03|15 - "And it's time that we take the barrier down, forever."彡★

"I'm a little sad Lonnie couldn't make it," Y/n commented to Jay, standing on the dock, the Isle looming far behind her. Mal and Ben were to hold a speech soon and until then she could enjoy the buzz of the crowd.

"She's busy at the academy," Jay sighed, a melancholy tone layering his voice.

Y/n smiled sadly but she had yet to share her condolences when Carlos' warm hand wrapped around her waist. "Hey, you," the boy greeted with a smile.

The princess planted a kiss on his cheek. "Hey."

Carlos' smile widened but he didn't change the topic from his initial idea. "They're starting."

Y/n raised her eyes to the platform. They were starting indeed.

Mal looked good in purple, as she always did. It was her and Ben's first public appearance after the girl's coronation. She was now officially Queen of Auradon, though the people had for years now regarded her so. Thus, she managed to quiet the crowd effortlessly, needing but a look for that.

"Lady Mal and I want to thank you for celebrating with us today," Ben's voice echoed. He then turned to the girl herself. "I couldn't be prouder or happier to call you my queen." A moment of awkward silence followed, one that reminded Y/n that Ben was not much more than a teenager still. "So... Raise your glasses."

Y/n raised hers, filled with orange juice. Just so did everyone else in the crowd, most of them having opted for non-alcoholic drinks for various reasons, the most common one being their ages.

"To the Queen of Auradon."

"To our Queen of Auradon!"

"Speech, Your Specialness!" Carlos called out, teasing the girl even over such a crowd on such a day.

"Speech, Your Fancy One!" Jay added, lowering his voice for a comedic effect.

Y/n chuckled fondly. The rest of the crowd laughed, too, as did Mal. Then the Queen of Auradon's smile fell.

The princess of the North frowned. She had everything she ever wanted, didn't she? She was married to Ben, crowned queen, she was with her friends that she called family, there was nothing— The girl glanced behind her at the Isle. Unless...

"I can't."

Y/n blinked, scratching her nose. Could've been a little less dramatic with that, Mal.

"I can't be queen of Auradon."

Gasps ripped through the crowd. Evie met eyes with Y/n. The latter was smiling. "Just wait," she whispered.

"For what?" Carlos cut in from beside her. Evie also looked at the girl as if she was crazy.

Y/n's smile only widened. "Trust me." She made no more effort to look at her friends and looked back at Mal instead.

"We made a decision to close the barrier forever," she started. "And it was my idea. But it was wrong." She raised a hand to her heart. "I've learned that you can't live in fear because it doesn't actually protect you from anything! You never know where the bad is gonna come from... And you never know where the heroes are gonna come from either."

Y/n looked to her left, smiling up at Carlos. His lips curled into a smile as well as he laced their fingers together.

"Without Uma and her pirates Auradon would be gone. And without Hades... my father..."

That's a lot of bombs to drop in one speech, Mal, Y/n thought, feeling a little iffy about the situation. If it now happened that the crowd turned on the girl, it wouldn't fare well.

"Audrey would be gone."

The princess of the North smiled at the grateful looks the two girls gave each other. She didn't know the specifics of what she'd missed while being unconscious but she knew that it was the start of a new friendship.

"We're all capable of good and bad, no matter which side of the barrier we come from," Mal said again, gesturing to elevate her point. "And that's why I can't be queen of just Auradon, I have to be queen of the Isle, too." Her last sentence was directed at Ben as much as it was directed at the crowd and then her voice gradually lowered before the next sentence. "And it's time that we take the barrier down, forever."

Carlos whipped his head to look at Y/n, a gleeful smile on his face. She's hearing this, too, right?

"We can't do that," the former king quickly denied.

"It's up to us, dad." Ben looked around, his eyes stopping on the crowd with a smile. "I choose to be a king who moves forward." He glanced back at his parents. "It's time for forgiveness." He looked back at the crowd, his eyes pinpointing each of the villain kids standing there. "It's time for new beginnings." He took a breath, his smile widening. "The barrier will come down!"

"Yes! Woohohoo!" Carlos cheered, hugging Y/n tightly. The girl smiled at his excitement. She'd known her boyfriend's heart had been in the right place all along but seeing him show it proudly without fear of anyone's judgement warmed her heart.

The crowd then clapped and cheered. Mal looked down at her friends. Jay got the signal, gesturing for Evie and Carlos. The boy hesitated for a moment.

"I don't want to do this without you," he told Y/n.

The girl smiled. "You deserve it." She kissed his cheek again. "Now go."

Carlos smiled, his heart beating as if he was truly alive for the first time ever.

Y/n watched how Carlos, Evie and Jay joined Mal on the podium, Fairy Godmother entrusting the Queen of Auradon with her wand. The girl found Carlos' baffled face adorable and the smile on her face threatened to split her cheeks as everyone waited, the air thick with anticipation.

"To make the world a better place, we have to do it face to face," the four chanted, years of living together showing in the way they could do so without communicating.

There was no lighting or thunder or ominous bellowing in the wind when the barrier came down and the bridge formed. Y/n was soon again joined by Carlos, Asher and Jane joining them only moments after the boy's arrival. Y/n's childhood best friend was wearing a smile and the girl noticed that he bore no weapon. She smiled, giving the guy a knowing nudge.

Asher only smiled, shaking his head with a fond laugh. He had only come to Auradon to protect Y/n, he hadn't expected his happiness to be fulfilled the way it had been. That didn't mean he complained, though.

It wasn't long after when Y/n spotted three familiar faces coming closer over the bridge. Without hesitation, she took steps to meet the trio, facing them head on.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did that day," she stated, bowing her head in gratitude. "The North is forever in your debt."

Uma raised her brows at the second sentence.

Y/n scrunched up her face. "That was a little overblown, wasn't it?"

Uma laughed. "Maybe a little."

Y/n laughed along but still made eye contact with Harry. "Really. Thank you, I mean it."

The guy shrugged. "Might as well save the archer's legacy."

It was Y/n's turn to raise her brows. "The archer's legacy?"

Carlos, who'd come up behind her by now, shrugged. "I think it suits you."

Y/n shook her head fondly. Yes, maybe it does.

THE END OF BOOK 3