What I Want

Chapter 38: Light

The next day, Ben spoke with his parents and they agreed to take over for him for the weekend. He and Mal finished up their homework before 2 P.M. and had settled at the campsite by about 6 P.M. The sun was starting to set, but Ben wanted to take Mal on a quick hike, but they had to hurry. Storm clouds were rolling in. As they walked through the dense forest, Ben realized he probably should have checked the weather, but it was too late now. They had no cell service out here and had no way to contact their ride home. Sighing to himself, he trudged forward on the rocky path, knowing that the view would be worth the risk.

"Where are we going?" Mal asked curiously as she stepped over a large rock.

"It's a surprise," Ben smiled.

"Ugh, another surprise?"

"Trust me, this one is worth the wait."

"Have you been here before?"

"Yeah. I used to sneak away from the castle when I was young and camp out for a few days around here. My parents hated that I would sneak away from them, but I needed an escape. They still don't know about this place. Heck, no one knows about this place. You're the only other person who knows this part of Auradon exists."

"This must be a pretty special spot then."

"It is, but I want to share it with you."

"How come?"

"Because you mean a lot to me and this spot that we are heading to has a lot of meaning to me. This spot is where I decided on my first proclamation."

"You mean the one that brought Carlos, Jay, Evie, and I over here?"

"Exactly, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made because I got to meet you."

"You saved my life that day," Mal said seriously, a thankful glow radiating off her skin in the light of the sunset,"I don't know how much longer I would have lasted if you hadn't made that decision. What made you decide to do that anyway?"

"You all deserved a chance to show the world you weren't evil. Your parents made their choice. You deserved to make your own."

"But why us? Why not some of the other VKs?"

"Honestly, I went with my gut instinct on who I felt needed and deserved to come here the most."

"But you knew absolutely nothing about us."

"No, but I knew your parents, or so I thought. I had no idea your mother was treating you so horribly, but I did figure out you probably had a rough life, as did the others."

"So we were a charity case?" Mal snapped suddenly.

"Of course not," Ben assured her as he pushed a branch out of her way,"I wanted to take in those who deserved a chance to prove that they were not their parents. Who better than to take in some of the children of the most vicious villains that have ever lived? Surely they would know the worst of the worst and could learn to do better. I don't really know how else to explain it."

"There were other kids who were worse off than us."

"Maybe, but I went with what I thought was right. There is no way of being able to determine who had it worse other than by looking at the paternal history."

"I just can't imagine what would have happened had you not chosen us."

"I don't even want to think about it. Besides, we're here," Ben smirked as he guided her through some thick bushes.

"Are you sure we're not lost?" Mal asked, wondering why they had to squeeze through some thorny brush.

"Positive. Look through there," Ben said as he pointed toward some faint light pouring through the thick leaves. Mal walked toward the light, absolutely drawn to the magnificent colors. That was one thing she never saw on the Isle: light. Back on the Isle, everything was dark. Light was something she was still getting used to, but it captivated her. It was always so bright and warm. It gave her something that she had never felt before: hope. Light gave her hope that life could be something amazing and beautiful. Mal pushed on toward the bright light, until finally, the brush cleared. She stepped out onto treeless cliff that stood high up over the mountains, white puffy clouds surrounding it. The air was thin up here, but she kept her breaths slow and shallow. Out in the distance, and beneath the clouds, she could see all of Auradon and beyond, illuminated under the fire sky. However, she also noticed one dark ominous cloud looming just below her. She could tell it was going to rain soon. Out in the distance, and very faintly, beneath the clouds, she could make out the enhanced lake.