Ziniba

I leveled my wand to Mal's face.

"Wait!" Ned yelled, dashing forward and grabbing my arm. "You can't do this!"

White hot anger clouded my head.

"What?! She killed Ekua!"

"I didn't mean to!" Mal said in defense.

I glared at her. "To late for that now!" She spat.

"No, Ziniba! You don't understand!"

"Who are you and what have you done to Ned?"

"I'm serious!"

I shoved him backwards.

"For six years we've both planned and plotted! What about that?!"

Ned swallowed.

"I lied."

Several emotions went through me. Surprise, hurt, sadness and betrayal, and then rage.

"What?" I seethed.

"But I'm still your friend!" He insisted.

"You are no friend of mine," I hissed, my lion ears laid flat on the back of my head.

I shoved him again and pointed the wand at Mal.

"No!" Ned yelled as he dove at me. He tackled me and pinned me down.

"Get off!" I screamed. Blasts of magic shot out of the wand.

"I won't let you do this!"

I tried to point the wand at him to maybe stupefy him momentarily or something but he pinned my hand down. I pulled my knee into his stomach and pushed him off.

We both jumped up and he grabbed the wand and tried to wrestle it from my hand. I dug my long nails into his wrist and he yelped in pain.

"You can't have it!" I yelled.

I spartan kicked him in the stomach and he went stumbling backwards.

Everyone seemed frozen as they watched us. Like they weren't sure what to do.

I jabbed the wand in Mal's direction and shot out a spell. Ned leaped forward and caught the spell right in his chest. He gasped as he hit the ground.

"Ned!" I screamed as the wand fell from my grip and I raced to his side. "Are you okay!"

"Ow. Ow, Ziniba, my heart," he said in a barely audible voice. "It's- I'm cold. It's so cold."

Sinbad ran over to us and began to examine Ned.

Ned's hair was turning white and his lips had turned blue and his face pale. He was shivering violently.

"Ziniba," Sinbad said as we watched another strip of Ned's hair turn white. "I think you froze his heart."

"Is there anything we can do?" I demanded.

Sinbad looked at me helplessly.

"You know the story. An act of true love is the only thing that can save him."

"But... But what does that even mean?!" Tears filled my eyes.

Love? No one had ever loved me. What was it? What did it mean? How was that supposed to save my best friend?

We had him in the school hospital in fifteen minutes. All the doctors and teachers that knew about magic checked him but the answer was the same: Only an act of true love could thaw his frozen heart.

I snapped and started to scream at them. My best friend was dying and all they could offer was cheesy lines? They ended up leaving me alone with Ned as he froze over.

I sat there for awhile, my face buried in my hands until Ned said:

"So... should we play I Spy or something to pass the time?"

I stared at him.

"How can you be so chipper? You're dying."

"I dunno. Maybe because if there's anything I've learned from my dad is to always sound like you're laughing, even when you're not." He fiddled with corner of his blanket and twitched his hyena ears. Madaline had fashioned a sort of earmuffs over them so that they would stay warm. A futile attempt but I think it helped Ned feel better.

"I've really messed things up, haven't I?" I asked.

Ned pursed his lips.

"It wouldn't do any good to lie and spare your feelings, would it?"

I shook my head.

"Than, yeah, you really have messed up."

I groaned and buried my face in my hands again.

"How long- Could you turn up the heat please?"

I did.

"Thanks. How long do I have."

I shrugged. "They won't give me a straight answer on anything."

I looked at him. His brown hair was almost entirely white now.

"What have I done?" I half asked Ned, half asked myself.

He studied my face and seemed to make some sort of decision.

"Get me a blanket," he ordered.

I looked at him quizzically. "Why?"

"Because I'm cold." He shivered for effect.

"Okay," I said slowly. I walked out of the room to ask for another blanket. But when I got back Ned was gone. The blankets had been thrown back and the window was open.

"Ned!"

**

Sinbad

Auradon was a mess.

Fairy Godmother had released everyone from the spell the Rebel VKs had put on everyone and everyone was in a panic. Parents where calling, Auradon had fallen into disrepair, the school was behind the education system, magical items were missing, etc, etc, etc.

Madeline and I were the only ones not effected by the spell and, along with a few other people who were able to collect their wits quickly, were running around helping people calm down and clean up the school.

As I walked around the museum picking up trash a corpse looking person leapt out of the bushes and grabbed my arm in his cold grip and the charged back into the bushes with me in tow.

"It's me!" Ned hissed, pulling me into a crouch next to him.

"Ned! What are you doing?! Why are we hiding?"

Ned's lips had turned blue and it looked like a thin layer of frost and covered his skin. He looked very weak and was shivering feverishly.

"I had to talk to you. I'm hiding from Ziniba."

"Why?"

"Because she'll kill me for hurrying up my death."

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Ziniba. Sinbad, after I'm gone, which is probably a few minutes, I need you to take care of her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... For the last few years it's just been me, her, and the pack. We've been the underdogs with no one to trust but each other. Especially with all that's happening she's going to need someone to watch her back and I think you're the best option."

I looked at him incredulously. "You do remember she used me to stay in Auradon, right?"

He nodded. "You've got to understand, we've been raised to do what's best for ourselves all our lives. And Ziniba has always had to do that for herself because I'm the only person who really cares about her. We've been friends since we both can remember."

"She froze your heart," I reminded him.

"She didn't mean to."

"Yeah, but she meant to kill Mal."

"She thinks Mal killed Ekua."

"You don't?"

He hesitated then nodded.

"I was there when Ekua died. Mal was just walking by. No one shoved Ekua, she tripped and even possibly..."

"What?"

The last of Ned's brown hair turned white and he gasped and sat backwards hard.

"We need to get you back!" I said, grabbing his shoulder and hoisted him up. We got out of the bushes but he stopped me.

"No! You have listen to me!" He pulled a bottle with a filmy liquid in it out of his jacket. "Give this to Ziniba. Please."

I took it from him. "Okay, but-."

"Please make sure she's taken care of!"

"Why me?"

"Because I know you like her, a lot."

"Now wait a moment-," I started to protest.

"And, though she doesn't really know it, she really likes you."

I blinked. "She does?"

"I figured out the spell wasn't effecting you and that it reversed our first spell on you. Meaning it broke the spell on Ziniba to. But she kept complaining about how much she liked you."

"Really?"

"Ned!" We heard Ziniba call.

He grabbed my arm to get my attention.

"Promise me you'll take care of her?"

I looked at the pleading in his eyes. I swallowed and nodded.

"I promise."

Relief washed over his face and he smiled as Ziniba walked around the corner.

"Ned!" She yelled right as he began to turn to ice.

I let go of him as his fingers turned to ice and soon all that was left of Ned was an ice statue, smiling at me.

"Ned!" Ziniba screamed. She dashed to him and her fingers hovered over his face, as if afraid if she touched him she'd melt the last thing left of Ned.

"No," she whispered, dropping to her knees, silent tears pouring down her face. "No."

I stared at her, uncertain what to do. I walked over and helped her to her feet. She seemed to heart broken to resist. I led her into the museum lobby and found her a chair.

"He said to give this to you." I held out the bottle.

She stared at it.

"He was always good at potions and chemistry things," she said. "On the Isle he would always say that if he had the right equipment he could work miracles." She reached up and stroked her lion ears in between her thumb and forefinger. "And so he did."

I nodded. I knew it was no good to say anything. She didn't need or want to hear I was sorry or that I knew he was in a better place. It wouldn't do any good to say it so I didn't.

"Would you like me to leave you alone?" I asked.

She nodded.

I made sure she took the potion before I walked out of the room.

Ziniba

I stared at the bottle in my hands.

He was gone. I couldn't bring him back. I didn't even have the hope of bringing him back with an act of true love.

What did he want me to do with potion? There was a paper taped to it. I peeled the tape off with my nail and opened the letter.

A sandwich bag with a few hairs in it fell on my lap. I picked it up and read the letter.

Step 1: Uncork bottle carefully and place it on a flat ground. Do not set on a table.

Curious, I stood up and did as it said.

Step 2: Carefully put hairs in bottle. All must be put in.

I did.

Step 3: Re-cork bottle. Shake well. Run.

I blinked at the run part.

Might as well.

I corked the bottle, shook it, and ran to the other side of the room.

The bottle shattered behind me and I spun around as there was a flash of light. I closed my eyes and rubbed them, trying to get rid of the spots. Sad, Ned's last potion just exploded and didn't even-.

"Ziniba?"

I stopped. It couldn't be.

I looked up at the girl, standing in the bottle's broken glass.

"Ekua!"

A/n: One more chapter, Sheeks! You're almost there!
RIP Ned. 😭 I cried when I thought of him dying.
Remember, comment any questions you have for any of the characters! 😄