XJ → Harry Hook [1]✔

Gold and Purple

The golden dragon let out a roar. Mal felt the mental arena inside of her head shake.

Mal's dragon roared back, breathing flames at the dragon. It blew out so much fire that the entire arena was lit up almost immediately. The golden dragon was soon engulfed by the flames, but Mal's dragon kept blowing. It didn't stop until the other dragon was completely out of sight.

Mal's dragon finally ran out of fuel. It panted, smoke curling from its snout.

Mal's vision switched back to normal and she smirked at XJ, expecting the golden glow in her eyes to slowly fade, her dragon defeated.

However, XJ smirked back and her eyes glowed stronger. Mal's eyes widened, and she was about to switch back into the arena when she saw XJ move from the corner of her eye.

Mal dodged blindly to the left, but she was too late. XJ socked her in the face and she staggered back and if Ben hadn't caught her in time, she would have fallen to the ground.

Mal's vision involuntarily switched back to the arena and saw that the flames had died down. She heard a roar and cursed as she saw the golden dragon emerged. The fire hadn't done any more damage other than singing the tips of her opponent's whiskers.

Mal suddenly felt a whoosh of air blast her in the face and a clang of metal. She shrieked at the abrupt noise and the arena disappeared. She thought something had happened to her eyes when she saw nothing but a royal blue. It took her a moment to realize that the royal blue was the back of Ben's jacket.

The people in the coronation hall screamed and began to run out through the doors as another clang of metal rang through the venue.

Mal looked over Ben's shoulder to see her boyfriend holding a sword against a glowing golden spear. XJ's eyes were still glowing golden, but she was pressing against Ben's sword with her spear, baring her teeth like a predator.

"Mal, what are you doing?" Evie cried as she grabbed the purple-headed girl by the arm and dragged her to the side. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Mal rubbed her eyes that were no longer green and were still adjusting. "No, I..." She looked back at Ben and XJ, who were fighting. Jay, Lonnie and Carlos had joined the fight, but XJ was doing more than holding her ground. She seemed to be winning, and there wasn't a single scratch on her. Her friends, on the other hand, already had bruises and cuts.

"Mal, what were you trying to do?" Jane demanded, her eyes wide as she watched the fight.

Mal pointed at the Ben on the platform, who was cowering behind Fairy Godmother. "Do you see him? That's not Ben! I'm trying to undo whatever magic was put on him to make him look like that and see who he really is!"

"So do it now!" Evie shouted over the noise.

"I need to get closer!" Mal shouted back. "Follow me!"

Mal shot up the stairs, followed by Evie and Jane, to where the imposter was being ushered away by Fairy Godmother into a doorway.

"NO YOU DON'T!" XJ roared.

The three almost made it through, but a gust of strong wind so powerful blasted them all back.

A roar sounded and Mal looked up to see the golden dragon in the arena brought to life. It was even more terrifying solidified and it snaked around in the air, its body blocking the way after the Ben with Fairy Godmother and the fairy herself.

Mal turned to look at XJ, who smirked at her before returning her attention to the ones she was preoccupied with.

Mal's eyes glowed green again. Her body heated up as she felt herself shift and transform. She felt fangs grow, wings form and a tail sprout. Her fingernails elongated and she felt her limbs turn more animalistic.