Chapter 1 Reprieve and Retrieval
Author's Note: Hey guys this if my first time writing for any Disney franchise, and I felt it was right to start with Descendants after hearing about the great news for the next sequel, Descendants 3! Anyways, I love these pairings, and I am sorry if the first few chapters are a little chaotic, I am getting my creative groove back. Thank you so much. Main pairings are BenxMal and DougxEvie, but the entire gang including Carlos, Jay, Lonnie and Jane will make several appearances as our heroes work to foil the plans of their old enemies.
Gentle moonbeams cast their long fingers down onto the glittering dips and curls of the Enchanted Lake. The night air was perfumed with aroma emanating from bundles of roses and lilies in every color that adorned the foliage flanking the expanses of the shore. Despite the fact that they were visiting this magical place at night, every minute detail that sang of its beauty was still visible to even those who were not looking. The flowers almost seemed to be constructed of crystal as their pigments switched from vivacious mauve to a more subdued but royal plum. The air itself carried itself in a graceful fashion which was emphasized by the delirious haze of violet that crested through the night sky. The water bubbled and jostled against its stone confines. Mal had never seen anything so beautiful, and a small gasp of awe slipped from her lips frozen in a state of astonishment.
"Do you like it?"
"Like it? How can I feel anything else but love for this? I have never seen anything like it, but why are we here so late? What was so pressing that we couldn't wait until the morning?"
Ben delivered a soft smile with a tinge of amusement.
"What do know you of midnight Mal?"
Mal pursed her lips into a knot of confusion, and her swirls of purple fell into her eyes as she cocked her head to try and form an answer for Ben without sounding like an idiot. Just like several months prior, in a silent reprieve to their hectic lives, a true moment of introspection, Ben leaned forward to brush away the wayward lock that shielded Mal's gaze from his.
Finally, Mal decided on what she deemed a suitable response, "When the clock strikes twelve on midnight, all spells are broken. Jane told me about her mother's gift for Cinderella, a spell that expired at midnight. Midnight doesn't sound like something to be celebrating Ben. Endings are not something we should focus on."
Ben deftly traced the contours of Mal's chin before he stood up abruptly and walked towards the threshold of their gazebo which was bathed in glorious lunar light. Her eyes followed Ben on his path, and waited for his explanation.
"I understand why you would only know the negative aspects of midnight's influence on magic, but it can be so much more. On the Isle you were taught to view all acts of Good Magic to be corrupted and twisted. But that isn't how things really are; especially tonight. Fairy Godmother was kind enough to lend us some of her magical reserves, but this time instead of ending at midnight, it begins."
The passionate tint to Ben's eye was quite adorable, but the fanatical undertone was slightly disconcerting, but if Mal had learned anything from her time by his side, he was the one person she could trust no matter what. He offered his hand to close the gap between them, she accepted it graciously and joined him in a warm embrace which was supported by the marble column to their right.
"Ok, I will bite what is so special about tonight?"
"Besides the captivating fairy in front of me, it seems to have slipped my mind."
Ben smiled playfully, and Mal broke apart from his hold slightly to admonish his jest with a slight punch to the shoulder. She was truly blessed to be able to call him hers, for the first time in her entire life, she could simply laugh and joke with another person.
"Alright two can play at this game? Should I transform into my fiercer form, I think if your pants were to say… light on fire… you would be more willing to cooperate." Mal gave Ben a slightly seductive glance thrown over her shoulder as she made a show to try to look as imposing and tall as possible, but her height of 5'2 unfortunately rendered her attempts more ridiculous than anything else.
Ben chuckled and advanced on her failed effort at intimidation and circled his strong arms around her waist to pull her to him.
"As much as I love your scalier counterpart, I don't think its possible for a dragon to learn to swim in such a small area. I am game to try, but it would be a shame for this entire area to go down in flames simply due to your frustration."
Mal huffed and stomped away, she cast a glare at Ben.
"Do you seriously think that insulting me is the best way to convince me to get in the water. Last time I got in I nearly drowned."
Ben grinned once more, "That's a little bit of an exaggeration don't you think? After all, I was right here to rescue you."
"You call that saving, you are the reason I jumped in in the the first place!"
Ben's smile shrank slightly to accommodate Mal's growing irritation, but did not lose its earnest nature.
"Oh come on, you know you loved it. And I promise this time, there will be absolutely no near-death experiences, I am still sea-sick from the Cotillion."
Mal surrendered a slight smile and nodded.
"It certainly wasn't a bad experience to be carried by my prince. I concede. Are you willing to recreate that experience?
"Prince, I am a king I will have you know!" Ben sputtered in mock indignation.
Mal saw right through his manufactured agitation and responded nonchalantly.
"I am not contesting that point, but you were still a prince when we met, and as they say true love never dies, the state in which I first met you will also remain in my heart. You should be flattered; to me you are forever young. The prince of my heart, who would have thought I would fall victim to such romantic clichés?"
Ben gave her a soft kiss on the tip of her nose and swept her up into his arms.
"I love it when you talk clichés to me."
Unexpectedly, with Mal still situated in his grip, Ben sprinted to the edge of the dry surface and plunged into the lake beneath. Mal fought to extricate herself but he only held on tighter.
Mal managed to splutter out a handful of words as she went to work on clearing her now sopping wet hair from her nose and mouth, "What on Earth was that for Ben?"
"Well because you distracted me, I didn't get to complete what I was saying. Fairy Godmother enchanted the water so sinking is impossible. All you can do is float. And now I am going to teach you to swim."
Mal shook her head playfully and managed to move away from Ben's embrace.
"Only if you can catch me Beast!"
"Oh you are so on Miss Lizard!"
"I am a Dragon, and I think it's time I taught you what a dragon does when she is made fun of." Mal waved her hand to the right and animated the lilac currents so they splashed Ben in the face. She erupted in laughter.
Ben frowned, and swept his arms to create his own wave of destruction, "No fair, I don't have magic."
"Well you seem quite capable regardless of that fact. And all is fair in love and war, magic is no exception."
Ben dove through the now serene waters, and stirred up plumes of foam and bubbles as he moved to swing Mal into another hug.
"You are going to learn to swim...tonight."
Mal shrieked in futility as she wasn't able to evade the mass of the current king of Auradon hurtling towards her with an expression of defiant determination and excitement coloring his features.
A ghostly specter cloaked in shadow, and sporting an enchantment that warded away all light traversed the window which opened the room up to the wonders of the evening. A simple snap of calloused yet delicate fingers and an incantation in an ancient language willed the lock on the window to pop open. In celebration this success pulled the mouth of the intruder into a sinister smirk. The most peculiar aspect of the unwanted visitor were the serpentine tendrils that cascaded from the humanoid torso. The tentacles moved surprisingly smoothly for their obscene length and meaty size.
The tentacles moved in perfect unison with their arms. If the intruder were visible to the naked eye, one would most likely find themselves ill at ease with the slimy film left behind by the unnaturally tendrils. Via the magical aura shielding the intruder the resultant sludge that coated the carpeted floor dissolved into nothing. They reached out their hand and seized the clear container that held the reptilian remains of a once lethal sorceress. The lizard automatically recognized the presence of a new being, and quickly sensed that their interests aligned well with one another's. The emerald scaled reptile bolted to the walls that had held it prisoner for so long and perched itself on its hind legs to fasten its hands to the glass.
"It's about time we get you back on two legs, don't you? Maleficent?"
The lizard nodded its head in a disturbingly human manner and narrowed its eyes to accompany its frightening leer.
They escaped into the night with out as so much of a trace of their deeds.
Doug and Evie entered into the girls' dorm room to say good night and devise plans for the following day. All students at Auradon Prep had been given the rest of the week off to commemorate the triumphant Cotillion from the night prior. The couple had pulled out two chairs and settled at the cherry wood desk which was painted white to create an ambience of serenity. Evie reached over to the far side of the table and slid the AP chemistry textbook over so it was parallel to her body. She moved to open it to the section on limiting reactions when Doug gently clasped her hand and tugged it away from the massive tome.
"Evie, we have all weekend to study for the examination. Let's spend some time just relaxing."
Evie shot Doug a surprised look, and remained motionless.
When had Doug ever been one to shy away from academic challenges? Was something wrong? Had she pushed him too far with her desire to pursue chemistry in university?
Exhaling a shaky breath and continuing on in an erratic pattern of breathing Evie inquired, "Why don't you want to make the most of our time together? We could be most productive if we spend every available moment in preparation."
Doug chuckled jovially and shook his head, he bent his gaze down to absorb the image of their entwined fingers. He raised their hands to drop a peck to her palm.
"Just being with you means that we are making the most of our time together. Don't ever forget that."
All of Evie's consternation faded away with the sweet lull of Doug's words. Her eyes brimmed with tears of happiness.
"Why are you crying honey?"
"With all that's been going on for the past few weeks, designing all of those gowns, getting Mal back from the Isle, and patching things up between her and Ben, we haven't had any time as just us. And I think I like myself the best when I am with you. It only makes sense that how we got to know each other was through chemistry, as I dare say we have plenty of that. For a moment you had me worried that you had grown tired of putting up with me."
Doug grasped both sides Evie's face and tugged her in close. His voice dropped ever so slightly, and the intensity sent sparks through Evie's veins, and chills down her skin.
"Evie, I never have, and never will 'just put up with you', we are Doug and Evie, we just make sense. Studying, working or laughing are all the ways I would prefer to spend my time. And don't worry, I have not forgotten out scholastic responsibilities, and we are going to kick some serious butt on that exam, but we are also so much more than students. We connect like a metal goes with a nonmetal. I also love you more than any chemical bond."
Evie blushed, but didn't retreat regardless of the weight that Doug's words conveyed. She smiled lovingly.
"I love you too Doug."
They exchanged a tender kiss, and Evie suggested they sneak into the kitchen and retrieve some caramel covered apples from the pantry. Evie swore up and down that they would not be poisonous apples, but he knew there was no reason to be skeptical. Doug concurred with the plan whole wholeheartedly and they were off.
Hours later Evie emerged from a deep and restorative slumber that rivaled Sleeping Beauty's 100-year snooze to the deafening screams of her best friend who was petrified, fixed in what looked to be a very uncomfortable sleeping position.
Evie hurriedly flung her satin sheets off of her, and besides a few stumbles in the dark via the copious fabric of her night gown, she made it to Mal's bed. She quickly surmised that Mal was having a nightmare, which in itself wasn't dangerous, but the accompanying magical outburst was something to be wary of.
Deciding to not hold back, Evie shook Mal's prone form with all of her might and was answered back with green flames that spread outward from Mal like a beacon. The branches of shamrock extended outward as they stalked their next flammable victim. Before Evie's devastatingly gorgeous wardrobe could be devastated by fire, she snapped her fingers and a puffy cloud of azure vapor enveloped every flame, and swallowed the oxygen that fueled the ignition.
Evie's powers weren't as strong as Mal's but when Mal was unconscious, it was easier for Evie to counter Mal's magic in order to prevent any damage.
As if Mal's slumber were attached to the ravenous progression of the emerald fire she bolted upright as soon as all of it was extinguished. The vibrant green highlight receded from eyes, but the alarm did not fade with the unnatural color.
"They're coming!"
Author's Note: I know that the villain was pretty obvious, but at least you don't know mother or daughter yet! I know that it was pretty cheesy and cliche, but the writing will grow in quality and depth, I promise. Also, there will be lots of action and drama too, not all just sunshine and rainbows. I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! The main focus is these two couples working together, playing off of each other's strengths, and growing into better people who can protect those they love from evil. Leave a review if you are so inclined!