FROZEN HEART ━━ 025

( MAL VS. UMA )

          EVERYBODY ON THE BOAT WAS SOAKED IN WATER WHEN UMA RESURFACED. She was ten times her size and she now had giant tentacles. Ellie felt a shiver go down her spine as she clenched her fists. Her nails dug into her palms as she tried to keep herself under control.

          "True love's kiss won't defeat this. The world will know my name!" Uma said and she swung one of her tentacles, almost hitting Carlos.

          Ellie pulled him out of the way before he could get hit and looked at Kaia.

          "Can't you talk to the ocean or something to counter Uma?" she asked.

          "It doesn't work like that," the brunette replied.

          "I thought the ocean was your friend?"

          "The ocean is supposed to be a friend but I don't think it wants to cooperate. It doesn't just do what I want it to!"

          Everybody looked at Mal whose eyes were glowing bright green as she tried to calm her breathing. Purple smoke surrounded her body and when it cleared, she had turned into a dragon just like her mother. Mal breathed fire right in front of Uma who moved away from it and retaliated by swinging another tentacle at her.

          "Let's finish this once and for all!" Uma shouted.

          Mal and Uma kept going at each other and Ellie looked around. If this didn't stop, everybody was going to get hurt and nothing was going to be solved.

          "I have had it!" Ellie said as she took off her shoes.

          "What are you doing?" Carlos asked as he grabbed her arm.

          "If they keep fighting like this, someone is gonna get hurt. Uma almost hit you," Ellie said as she pulled her hair into a ponytail.

          "Ellie, wait!"

          Ellie jumped over the rail and when she landed, ice had formed under her feet. Uma made a huge wave that moved toward the boat and Ellie was standing right between the boat and the wave. She moved her hands upward and a huge ice wall blocked the wave from hitting the boat. When the wave was gone, the wall went down and Uma glared at Ellie. One of her tentacles knocked her off her feet and she fell into the water. While she was under, the skirt of her dress changed into a pair of pants and she swam up to the surface. She made an ice floe and climbed onto it while Mal and Uma kept fighting. She got up and ran towards Mal and Uma but Ben had already jumped into the water. When he resurfaced he was right between the two of them.

          "Mal, Uma! Stop, back down!" he said. "Ellie, don't freeze anything!"

          "What are you gonna do, Ben? Splash me?" Uma laughed.

          "That's enough! It's got to stop, this isn't the answer! The fighting has gotta stop! Nobody wins this way! We have to listen and respect each other. It won't be easy but let's be brave enough to try. Uma, I know you want what's best for the Isle. Help me make a difference," Ben said as he held out his hand.

          Mal roared and Uma gave back Ben's ring and went underwater. Ellie helped Ben get back to the boat and they climbed the rope ladder. Carlos pulled the blonde girl into a hug and pulled away to look at her.

          "What's wrong?" she asked.

          "You really scared me when you jumped," he said.

          Ellie grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes. Mal roared and everyone turned around as she landed on the boat. Purple smoke surrounded her body again and she changed back into a human. The gold and yellow dress was replaced with a purple one and her hair was no longer in its side braid. Instead, it was out in beautiful curls. Mal smiled and everyone clapped and cheered as she walked down the stairs and met Evie at the bottom. Evie put out the small flame that was burning on Mal's dress. When Mal stood in front of Ben, all she did smile smile and kiss him.

          "I owe you guys so much," Ben said. "Ellie, you too."

          The blonde looked up when she heard her name and Carlos grabbed her hand.

          "You helped us out a lot since the beginning. You helped us fight off Maleficent, you helped us fight the pirates with your ice blasts," Jay said and everyone laughed. "And if you didn't protect us with that ice wall, the wave would've hit us and possibly knocked us over."

          "Mal literally turned into a dragon here to fight Uma," Ellie said.

          "I may not have needed your help but my friends did. Like Jay said, without your ice wall that wave would've hit them," Mal said and Ellie smiled. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for all of your help."

          "Just don't freeze my heart again. Make no mistake, my hands are cold but my heart is colder," Ellie said and they both laughed.

          "If there is anything you need or anything I can do for you─"

          "Actually, there is, Ben. I know a girl who would really love to come to Auradon. It's Drizella's daughter, Dizzy. She's like a little sister to me," Evie said.

          "Then she should come," Ben replied.

          "Actually Ben, there are a lot of kids who would love it here in Auradon. Kids just like us who also deserve a second chance. Can I maybe get you a list?" Evie asked.

          "Absolutely," Ben answered.

          Everyone clapped and a guard brought Mal's spell book.

          "We found your spell book below deck. Uma had it," he said as he gave it to Mal.

          "You know, this seems like the kind of thing that belongs in the hands of Fairy Godmother. Fairy Godmother?" Mal called and Fairy Godmother stepped up. "This belongs in the museum."

          "It does and I am going to take it," Fairy Godmother said.

          "Go for it. I'm not gonna be needing it anymore," Mal said before kicking some water at Ben.

          Ben kicked some back at her and everyone laughed. The night ended with singing and dancing and Carlos spinning Ellie around in his arms. The top part of her dress remained the same but the skirt was replaced with pants. Her curls were gone since they got wet but her hair was now in a messy ponytail and Carlos still liked it. Ellie was sure that they could never have a normal event go as planned but in the end, everything turned out okay.

          "Has that voice been bugging you lately?" he asked as they walked to the dorms and Ellie shook her head.

          "I have no idea how long it's going to stay quiet," she said.

          "A villain could be messing with you. Maybe it's Hayes or even Hans."

          "They would need magic, which they don't have or understand. Whatever it is, I'll do what it takes to put an end to this."

          Carlos sighed as they stopped in front of Ellie's room. "Do you remember that truth gummy Mal made?" he asked and Ellie nodded. "It was supposed to be for me. I asked her to make it for me because I didn't know how to tell you this. I didn't know how to tell you that I love you," he said as he exhaled shakily.

          Ellie smiled as she wrapped his arms around his shoulders and kissed him. When she pulled away, he smiled too. "I love you, Carlos," she said.

          She did love him and he loved her. Everything was going to be okay.