A VK heartbeat

Chapter 19: Say what you mean out loud

Mal's POV
"She's waking up!"
"Mal? Can you hear us?"
"Mal?"
I groaned, opening my eyes to see myself in the hospital bed...again.
I noticed my friends all surrounding me, including Harry.
"What...What happened?" I asked, sitting up slowly.
"We don't know" Harriet said "You collapsed, and then seconds later Harry did as well"
Noticing the look on her face, she didn't tell the others the full truth.
They didn't need to know.
Especially I already was the one who told them about the soulmates.
They don't need to know about the attack.
"Mal?"
I snapped my head to Harry, who looked paler than usual.
He must have just woke up.
"Are you okay?" We both asked at the same time.
We both blushed.
"I'm peachy" I replied "You?"
"Better, I've been worse" Harry replied.
"What happened to make you collapse?" Ben asked, sounding suspicious.
I shrugged.
"No idea" I said and then noticed Gil hiding behind Harriet "Hey Gil, you got here fine?"
He nodded, looking absolutely broken.
I will fix this.
My mother will pay for-
"I'm okay" he replied with slight hesitation.
"Is it sore?" I asked, trying to move.
"All no, you're staying in bed" Evie said and pushed me back down.
"But Harry's up!" I complained.
"He woke up 12 hours ago and is okay, however you woke up only a couple of minutes ago so no, you're not getting up" Jane said "You need to-"
"How can I? I was so close to getting the book and-"
I froze in mid sentence.
"You have the book?" I asked Gil.
"FG has it" CJ replied snarky.
Freddy rolled her eyes.
"Bitch" Freddy whispered.
"What did you just say to-"
"ENOUGH!"

Everyone parted to reveal Fairy Godmother.
"Freddy, CJ; sort out your differences outside now!" Fairy Godmother said "You must not argue like this at Auradon"
They both grumbled as they left the room, Anthony following like a lost puppy.
Harriet was going to follow them but FG stopped her.
"No, we need to talk" she said, making me look at her confused.
She looked at Gil, then Harriet, then Harry and then me.
"Now I am grateful you got the book, it will help me out a lot but I realise either of you are telling the full truth regarding on how you got it" FG said.
Almost everyone looked at us, especially me.
"You want to know why?" She asked after the silence "Because when Mal's clothes were taken off of her, she had this on it"
She showed a small plastic bag with red dust in it, making me freeze.
"Now I'm sure from my testing this is devil's dust; once put on a person they will experience torture beyond imaginable and relive their nightmares" FG said.
She looked at me.
"Now this stuff normally leaves the giver insane and from my sources, Maleficent is the only one who has access to it via the book I have" FG said "Mal, did you get covered in this dust?"
"No" I replied bluntly "I was exhausted, I collapsed; Harry, his soul being connected to mine, reacted the same way"
She narrowed her eyes.
"It's not how it works Mal, only pain of extreme effect can do that" FG said "Tell me the truth"
I looked around, catching Harry's eyes.
He sighed.
"We went to Maleficent's castle, Gil leading Mal to the book but it was a trap; we were locked out. Gil came rushing from the back with the book in his hands, exclaiming how Maleficent's with Mal. We heard her come to the door and it sounded like she was forced to stop by magic and we heard a scream. The doors open to reveal Mal on her knees, red dust covering her. I can't remember much after that as the pain kicked in and I was also knocked out" Harry exclaimed.
Everyone was looking at me with shock.
"Mal, why..." Ben started and then looked at Harriet, who was pale "...Why didn't you say anything?"
"They didn't want to worry you" I replied "With the soulmate stuff already happening, we didn't want anything else bad"
"Also the fact it was terrifying watching you and Harry scream...in pain like that" Harriet said, her voice stranded.
I looked at her wide eyed.
"I'm so sorry" I whispered "I am so sorry, I am normally alone when this hap-"
"Wait, it's happened before?" Jay demanded.

I looked nervous.
Crap.
I'm boned.
I looked at Harry.
"You're on your own" he replied "You need to tell them"
"I don't need to tell them anything" I snapped back.
"Wait, you know?" Ben asked.
Harry shrugged.
"I was her one to go to person on the Isle" Harry replied simply.
"Mal, please don't tell me this has happened more than once, this is really bad for your health" FG said.
I sighed.
"It's happened to me before" I said, making everyone gasp "A couple of times actually, lets just say Maleficent isn't a great mother"
I looked down.
"...and would beat you and torture you if you're not evil enough or make a mistake" I muttered.
"Oh Mal" Lonnie whispered.
I looked up and fake smiled.
"I'm fine really, there's no need to worry" I replied.
Fairy Godmother rolled her eyes.
"Nobody believes that" she said, "Would I  be able to get everyone out the room but Ben, Harry, Harriet and Gil?"
"But mother-"
"Mal needs her rest" FG said, "Off you go"
They sighed but left.
Evie stayed behind and kissed me on the head.
"You'll be okay, if you need anything, I'll be there" Evie said and then looked at Harry "You better take care of her"
Harry nodded and Evie dramatically exited.

Fairy Godmother waited until the door closed.
"Now I need you guys to be honest and make sure nothing in this room gets told to anyone else, is that clear?" FG said.
I nodded nervously.
Everyone else nodded.
"Now I have read some of the book and something very interesting came up" she started "A powerful curse which can make the victim get get fried from the inside out, die and then come back to life with torturous nightmares and a scar which sparks green...this is called 'Zeus' lighting'"
I froze and met eyes with Gil.
All no.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
This can't be happening.
Oh Goblins.
"Now" FG continued "This curse can be sensed only by powerful beings, such as myself"
Harry, realising what was going on, looked at Gil.
"Gil?" Harry asked in a sour tone "Maleficent used this on you?"
Ben and Harriet widen there eyes as Gil lifted up his shirt to reveal his bruise.
"I was" Gil said "Malefi...She wanted information about Mal and Auradon but I won't give it to her so she did this"
Gil was close to tears.
Harry hugged him, making Gil shake.
"I...it was terrible, it was painful and I can't sleep at night" Gil cried "It..."
"It's okay young one, let it out" FG said "I have read the book and there is no known cure, however, there is a spell which can be used to cover it up and dull the pain...do you want that?"
Gil nodded, letting go of Harry and wiping away his tears.
"I do not know the spell" FG said.
She then turned to me.
"Mal, you know the spell, don't you?" She asked.
Everyone looked to me wide eyed.
"I've read the book, of course I know it" I replied.
I muttered the spell under my breath, the silvery-blue wisp going into Gil, making him widen his eyes.
He lifted up his top and widen his eyes.
There was no bruise there at all.
"How can you perfect it?" FG said "It is a terribly hard spell"
"Practice" I replied.
"On who?" She asked.
Ohhhhhhh.
I know where she's going.
She wants me to reveal it.
I'm not ready.
I will never be ready.
But...then again.
I need to.
So people can help me and I can't say all the time it's 'flashbacks' or 'panic attacks'
I took a deep breath.
"On myself" I whispered.
Everyone in the room, including FG, gasped.
I removed it, sudden pain going through me as I did.

(A/N this scaring on her face: also not my picture, all rights to the person who took the picture)

"Mal..." Ben whispered.
"All those times you said to me you're having flashbacks is the pain?" Harry asked, heartbroken.
"Majority of the time, yes" I replied.
"Wait, doesn't that mean she fried your brain?" Harriet asked.
I nodded.
"Very painful" I replied "There's a reason why I hate lighting"
"Harry said that on the Isle" Harriet said, looking at him.
He looks terrible.
Maybe because the curse is going through him as well technically.
"I thought it was normal lighting, not Zeus' lighting!" Harry said "Why didn't you tell us? Me?"
"Because it didn't want you to worry and when we were on the Isle being in pain is a sigh of weakness and my mother never allows that so I learnt the spell and a lot of them in there. Technically I can use that exact curse on my mother without fail but I won't" I said "I...I hate people all over me, you guys know that. And with this-"
Ben put his hand on my shoulder.
"We will support you no matter what okay?" He asked.
I nodded.

FG coughed.
"On a good note, the soulmates can be changed in a couple of days!" She said happily.
I looked at Harry.
We only just got used to each other.
What's going to happen now?