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Mal closed her eyes and hugged him back tightly. There was nothing like almost rescuing an entire kingdom—and almost plunging to your death along the way—to make a person appreciate a good hug.
“What are you doing down here? Where did you come from?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you everything,” he said, at the same time as she said, “I have so much to tell you!”
They laughed as Carlos, Jay, and Evie joined them, a little dirty and smudged, but whole. Ben didn’t let go of Mal as he shook the boys’ hands and slapped them on the back before giving Evie a quick hug. The five of them grinned at each other.
The old man behind Ben cleared his throat. “Uh, right,” Ben said, blushing as he backed away from Mal. “This is Merlin, and you know Grumpy.”
The wizard nodded in greeting and the dwarf grunted. “Do you know my son, Gordon? He’s at Auradon Prep with you all,” said Grumpy.
“We know Doug,” said Evie, smiling.
Grumpy huffed. “Everyone knows Doug. Just like his father, too popular.”
Evie had to giggle at that.
Ben explained how the Neverland fairies had helped them track purple dragon scales to this deserted diamond mine. Mal’s group told them about their journey to recover the talismans.
“So Yen Sid was right, the Catacombs go all the way to Auradon,” said Carlos.
“We were just at Maleficent Mountain,” said Mal. “There was a dragon’s nest on the top of Doom Crag, but we didn’t see a dragon back there.”
“We’re closer than we’ve ever been, then,” said Ben. “The creature must live here, and it’s been getting to Auradon through this tunnel.”
Just as he spoke, a fine purple mist covered the cavern, and everyone froze.
“It’s here,” said Merlin. “The creature is here. Show yourself!” The wizard held his wand high.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” said Mal.
“I am King Ben of Auradon and I command you to reveal yourself to us!” said Ben.
The purple mist began to take shape…but instead of a fire-breathing dragon or a giant snake, there was only an old witch with purple hair standing in front of them when the mist cleared.
“Madam Mim!” exclaimed Mal, completely shocked to see Mad Maddy’s grandmother, and yet something else about her was oddly familiar.
“Hello, dearie!” said Madam Mim with a cheerful wave.
“You know her?” asked Ben.
“From the Isle of the Lost,” said Mal.
“Well, I certainly know her. Hello, old friend,” said Merlin grimly. “I thought I might see you here, Mim. Up to your old tricks, are you? I’m sorry to say that your mischief ends now.”
Madam Mim only laughed, and her cackle echoed throughout the dark cavern. “Oh, I don’t think so, you geezer, I’m having way too much fun!”
As she laughed, Madam Mim turned into a large purple dragon. But unlike Maleficent’s fierce dragon form, Madam Mim’s looked almost comical. Her messy purple hair was still perched on top of her head, and her wings looked the size of a bird’s. How on earth did Ben ever mistake this dragon for Maleficent?
“You thought this was my mother?” Mal asked him, rolling her eyes.
Ben laughed nervously. “She was up in the sky, it was hard to see. I don’t know, blame magic?”
Still, the group scrambled away as Merlin rolled up his blue wizard sleeves. He zapped his wand at her, launching sparks, but Mim was too fast. She turned into a fox and scuttled into the darkness. Merlin sent another spell from his wand, but he was too late. Mim turned once more, this time into a raging rhinoceros.
“The boulders!” said Mal, pointing to the giant stones at the top of the mine shaft.
Jay and Carlos ran in front of the animal, pushing the rocks right into the rampaging rhino’s path. But just as she was about to be crushed, Mim turned into a crafty hen and flew out of the way.
