Break This Down [D3]

10 - Queen of Both

Third Person POV

Mal walked beside Ben as they entered their engagement party, a million and one thought racing through her head. She locked eyes with Ozzy, who sent the conflicted girl a strong nod. As Mal made it to the top of the tower, she caught sight of the dark cloud hanging over the Isle of the Lost. Suddenly all the thoughts in her head were silenced, and were replaced by the sound of her beating heart.

"Lady Mal and I want to thank you all for celebrating our engagement with us today." Ben spoke, drawing Mal out of her thoughts. She smiled at her fiance as the sounds of the crowd replaced the sound of her heart beating out of her chest. "I couldn't be prouder or happier to call you my queen. So, raise your glasses, to our future queen of Auradon."

"To our queen of Auradon." The crowd recited. Mal tried to keep a smile on her face, as this was supposed to be a happy occasion, but seeing the Isle made her upset.

"Speech, your specialness." Carlos called up to Mal.

"Speech, oh fancy one!" Jay added, making everyone laugh. Mal let out a short laugh before again locking eyes with Ozzy. The blonde smiled encouragingly up at her friend, nodding to let her know that what she was about to say was alright. The smile slowly faded off of Mal's face as she looked out and saw Dizzy Tremaine stood between the Smee twins. Her eyes then focused on the dreary looking Isle, and she finally spoke.

"I can't." She stated simply, feeling a weight on her heart she'd never felt before. The crowd gasped as Mal tore her gaze from the Isle. "I can't be queen of Auradon."

"Mal?" Ben asked, confused and scared of what that meant.

"I can't turn my back on the Isle." She told Ben, turning back to address the party below her.

"We made a decision to close the barrier forever." Mal informed. Dizzy looked down at the twins, shock clear on all three of their faces. "And it was my idea. But it's wrong. I've learned that you can't live in fear... because it doesn't actually protect you from anything."

Carlos nodded up at his friend while she let out a short laugh. Ozzy laced her hand with his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You never know where the bad is gonna come from." Mal continued. "And you never know where the heroes are gonna come from either. Without Bridgette and her pirates, Auradon would be gone. And without Hades... My father,"

Evie sighed, looking up at her friend as the party collectively gasped.

"Audrey would be gone." Mal stated. "We are all capable of good and bad, no matter which side of the barrier we come from. And that's why I can't be queen of just Auradon. I have to be queen of the Isle, too, and it's time that we take the barrier down forever."

Ben smiled down at his future wife, a proud glint in his eyes.

"We can't do that." Adam said, shaking his head at his son. Belle waved a hand at him, looking at her son and his fiance with pride.

"It's up to us, dad." Ben said, looking over his shoulder at his father. He shared another smile with his future queen before addressing the people.

"I choose to be a king who moves forward." Ben stated. "It's time for forgiveness. It's time for new beginnings. The barrier will come down."

"Yes!" Carlos yelled, cheering loudly. The crowd around him laughed, and Ozzy shook her head with a smile on her face.

"Bring it down, Mal." The young king said, smiling down at his fiance. As they shared a kiss, the crowd below them applauded and cheered at the news. Mal smiled down at her friends, waving them up. Jay grabbed Evie's hand and ran with her up the stairs, Carlos and Ozzy not far behind them. Fairy Godmother handed Mal her wand, nodding encouragingly at the soon-to-be queen.

Carlos, Evie, Mal, and Jay stood in front of Ozzy and Ben, looking across the broken bridge at their former home. Jay nodded at Mal, and Evie grabbed Carlos's hand.

"To make the world a better place..." Mal started, pointing the wand at the Isle of the Lost.

"We have to do it face to face." Evie, Carlos, and Jay said with Mal. The purple haired girl raised her hand and pointed the wand at the Isle, making the magical barrier dissolve in a golden rain. The dark cloud that hung over the Isle lightened, letting streaks of sunlight seep through onto the island as a bridge formed between the Isle and Auradon.

On the Isle, Bridgette led her crew through the dark tunnel leading to the formerly broken bridge. She had a skeptical look on her face as she emerged in front of a fully formed bridge without a barrier protecting it. She looked at Uma as she felt glee fill her for the first time, laughing beside her best friend as she took in the sunlight.

The children of countless other villains gathered in front of the bridge, squinting at the sudden brightness as the dark cloud above them parted for the sun. Uma and Bridgette smiled widely at each other, the wolf wrapping her arm around the sea witch's shoulders.

"My plan." The taller girl said with a grin. Uma spun them both, giggling excitedly as she did so.

"Yes!" She cheered, pulling Bridgette up onto the tower, looking out at Auradon.