**NOTE: This is my own personal take on the plot released for Descendants 2. It may be completely different or very similar to the actual movie, however the movie had not come out when I wrote this. This is just my personal take on the 2016 plot release, divided in multiple chapters.**
2016 Synopsis: "When the pressure to be royally perfect becomes too much for Mal, she returns to her rotten roots on the Isle of the Lost..."
Mal liked to think that her dad had been good. That he'd been some prince on a white horse that had somehow fallen madly in love with a wicked witch, and that her mother's exile to the Isle of The Lost had terminated their relationship. She liked to think that there was some sort of good in her, that she wasn't just born from cruelty and mischief.
She liked to believe that one day, she'd be introduced at a ball with Ben like all the princesses were, and that her dad would recognise her instantly, and she'd recognise him. She knew it was probably crazy talk, but she hadn't been allowed to dream of good her whole life, so she definetly had a lot to make up for now that her mother was gone.
The royal life had definetly grown on her. Although she still attended Auradon Prep, she found herself spending afternoons and even some evenings scouring the royal palace grounds with Ben (because really, who needed a second rose garden?). However, she still felt like an outsider who'd somehow ended up on the inside by accident. But she had to admit, it was thrilling.
She tried her best to fit in, she really did. She cast a spell on her hair to turn into into a long and neat hairstyle with bangs, and had started implementing a lot more lilac in her style choices. In fact, she'd even agreed to wearing a dress for the first day back at school. A dress for crying out loud.
She nervously smoothed away the creases in the pretty dark purple fabric. Not only was it the first day back to school, but it was also the day other villain children from the Isle came to live in Auradon. Ben's movement had really changed lives, and now that he was king, he was planning on changing many more.
Mal used to be like a queen amongst the children on the Isle. Whilst her mother had hold of all the adults, she'd managed to control each and every rotten teenager that had ever crossed paths with her, therefore making today a very nerve wracking day for her.
She had decided on wearing one of Evie's latest 'Mal' creations; a dark purple dress with green graffiti-like flames painted on the skirt, and a black belt around her waist with a lion buckle. She looked like an edgier version of a preppy schoolgirl, and she couldn't decide if she liked that or not.
Sliding into her battered black boots and her leather jacket, Mal suddenly felt a lot more like herself. Past the annoying bangs and the pretty dress, she was still Maleficent's daughter, which meant that she was fierce, feisty and free. So, with one last look in the mirror, she slid Ben's ring onto her finger and walked out of the room and made her way towards the foyer, ready to meet her friends and the new Villain Kids.
Mal nervously twirled the ring on her finger as she waited outside with her friends for the new students to arrive. She tried to avoid thinking about the fact that they were most likely some of her old friends, but as the familiar limousine rolled up in front of the four former villains and the King, Mal felt her heart drop.
Ben noticed Mal becoming incredibly tense next to him, so he quickly moved to grip her hand with his. Mal sent him a grateful smile before turning to watch the limousine door open, sending a reassuring smile to her friends as the school band started playing.
Mal's eyes widened at the sight of the first person who stepped out of the limousine.
Gav, one of Gaston's twins, was the first to step out of the limousine, dressed in his father's signature red. The second and last person to come out was Shauna, daughter of Shan Yu. Mal recognised them both, a sickening feeling creeping into her throat as she realised how thin and ill they looked, and that she'd once looked like that.
"Well look at this," Shauna exclaimed loudly, a smirk on her face, "You were right Gav. They really have gone soft!"
"Told'cha," Gav laughed, clapping a hand on Shauna's back to steady himself, "Hell, Carlos looks even scrawnier than he used to!"
The two kids cackled loudly, the band abruptly stopping their song at the sound. Ben frowned, however before any of the teens could say anything, Fairy Godmother bustled through to stand in front of the new Villain Kids.
"Welcome!" Fairy Godmother begun brightly, "Welcome to Auradon Prep! We've been expecting you guys for quite some time now."
"Yeah, there was some traffic down Goody-Two-Shoes street," Gav laughed, earning an unimpressed look from Shauna.
"But it looks like all the real fun is here," Shauna smirked as her eyes landed on Mal, "Mal, how lovely to see you. And how... Sickening you look. Prep girl really isn't your style, is it? Kind of reminds me about that one time you and Uma-"
"Shauna!" Evie interrupted with a smile, sliding in front of Mal, "You're looking as wicked as ever, although I'd really trim those split ends if I were you."
"Awh, you always were a softie Evie," Shauna laughed, "Me and Gav were actually just talking about that time you-"
"There's no need to bring up the past," Evie interrupted nervously, glancing at Ben.
"That's right dear," Fairy Godmother chipped in, "Right now, it's all about the present and the future. More importantly, your future!"
"Oh I get it," Shauna continued as she turned to face Mal, "You haven't told your little boyfriend here about what we'd all get up to back home."
"I'm Ben," Ben stepped forwards, holding his hand out for the three villains to shake, "This is a momentous day. Our peoples are breaking down barriers we haven't been able to break before."
"Funny he'd mention breaking barriers," Gav whispered with a knowing smirk.
Shauna smirked before straightening up, looking over to Mal.
"How about a tour then?"
The arrival of the two new Villain Kids hadn't caused as big as an uproar like Mal's group had. Gav and Shauna were definitely rotten to the core, but already Mal could see something shifting in them.
One week later marked a very important occasion; Ben's fathers birthday. A celebration was going to be held in the royal palace of Auradon, only a select few outside of the royal family invited to celebrate.
One of these select few had been Mal.
Being the King's girlfriend definitely had it's perks, but Mal would be lying if she said she was looking forwards to that night. Although she'd been accustomed to the royal life, she knew that some people still didn't trust her in the kingdom, some of which would be attending that night (not to mention all of Ben's family). After all, she was Maleficent's daughter, and she had briefly been planning to steal a priceless magical item to release evil into the world.
But the past is the past, right?
Mal meticulously smoothed out any wrinkles in her deep purple velvet dress, designed by none other than Evie. It was elegant yet wicked, exactly like most of Evie's creations. It was a beautiful off-shoulder dress with a wide skirt, ending just above the knee. The bottom had been lined with slightly lighter coloured lace, and multiple little rhinestones adorned the fabric. Furthermore, Mal had decided to ditch her leather jacket for once and opted for a simple black cloak.
Mal irritatingly blew her bangs out of her eyes for the final time before deciding that she was ready. She looked so much more grown up than she had only a few months ago, and the ring on her finger symbolised it. She swiftly slipped into a pair of heels borrowed from Evie as a knock sounded at the door. With unsure steps, she stumbled to the door and opened it.
"Woah!" Ben exclaimed as he caught his girlfriend in his arms, "I see why you don't wear heels now."
"One more thing you're going to have to tolerate about me," Mal joked as she stood back up, "Thanks for catching me, by the way."
"I always will," Ben smiled, lacing his hand with Mal's, "Are you ready?"
Mal smiled timidly, still not used to the cheesy remarks that came with having Ben as a boyfriend. She squeezed his hand with a nod, grabbing her small clutch purse and following Ben out of the room.
The ball for the former King's birthday was definetly one of the most luxurious events Mal had attended.
As soon as she stepped into the royal hall, swarms of aunties and cousins came towards her, immediately asking her about her relationship with Ben and how much of a gentleman he'd been. Mal did her best to keep up with the demanding conversations, but even Maleficent herself would find such a family a challenge. Eventually, even Ben was swept away by a few of his younger cousins.
Once she'd escaped the small congregation, she finally took the time to admire the hall. She gasped in shock at the beauty of the ceiling, the intricate ceramic branches weaving together to form a canopy of golden leaves. A few red roses could also be spotted, most definetly directly referencing Ben's parents stories, and the walls were decorated with the most wonderful murals of the kingdom and their family.
The murals extended outside the hall and into a corridor on the left wall, most probably leading to the rest of the palace. Mal stepped forwards towards the closest mural, which was a painting of the King and Queen with Ben in their arms, wrapped in a white blanket. Mal smiled fondly at the painting, looking over her shoulder to find the family laughing and chatting happily between them.
Turning back to the paintings, something inside Mal was pushing her, begging her to explore further. So, with one final glance back, she stepped into the corridor, taking her time to admire each detail of every painting.
She didn't know how long she'd been walking through the corridor when she stumbled across a golden plate screwed onto the wall. She leant closer, blowing the dust away to read the inscription.
'On the walls of this palace lie the final prophecies of the Blind Witch,
Doomed to spend the rest of her days in seclusion.
Although some skeptics with protest,
Never doubt the paintings of the Blind Witch.'
Mal furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Of course she'd heard all about the Blind Witch. In fact, her artwork was all over the Isle. It was foretold that she was able to see the future, and able to paint the future even without being able to see. However, she was soon sent to live on the Isle once her paintings were deemed 'dangerous'.
Mal was about to continue walking down the corridor when, once again, she lost her balance. In a desperate attempt to keep herself upright, she grabbed a nearby candelabra off its pedestal, but that soon cluttered to the floor, as did she.
"Stupid shoes," Mal grumbled, pushing herself off the floor removing the shoes.
As she began to stand up again, the floor and the walls began vibrating. Mal clutched the wall, watching as the candelabra she'd grabbed earlier vibrated against the floor. Suddenly, the wall she'd latched on started moving, revealing another side of the corridor. Once the wall had disappeared completely, the vibrating stopped.
"What the..." Mal whispered, picking the candelabra up in confusion. Suddenly, the candles flickered alive, casting a soft yellow light.
Something inside Mal sparked; the curiosity. With a last glance towards the ballroom, Mal took a step inside the dark corridor, the candelabra illuminating the way.
It was clear no one had been in that side of the palace in a long time. Any windows that had previously adorned the hall were now either bricked or boarded up. The floor was coated with dust, and multiple cobwebs hung from the ceiling. However, this didn't faze Mal. She carefully crept through the passage, shining the candlelight on the walls to uncover the murals.
It was when she reached the last mural that she stopped.
It was a painting of Ben, back facing her, holding a golden scepter with the royal crest in his hand. He was battling something, or more likely someone, in a cloud of black and purple smoke.
The candelabra cluttered to the floor once Mal realised who he was battling. The glimmer of green broke through the smoke, a flash of purple hair seen in the haze.
Ben and Mal were destined as enemies.
Mal's hands shook. She'd known, really. She'd known all along that their romance was nothing but a meaningless fairytale, that she was born from evil and so she should be evil. She knew the Blind Witch had never been wrong before, and now she knew that her mother had been right as well.
"Well look who we have here."
Mal grabbed the candelabra and spun around, holding the light out to the voice. Shauna and Gav stood in front of her triumphantly, a smirk on both their faces.
"What are you doing here?" Mal questioned, "How did you get in?"
"Chinese magic," Shauna replied simply, toying with the medallion around her neck, "You know, you've really lost your spark Mal."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mal replied, clutching the candelabra.
"When you were on the Isle, you were burning with desire," Shauna continued, stepping closer, "You were so alive, but look at you now, wrapped around a prince."
"King, actually," Gav piped up, earning a glare from Shauna.
"Truth is Mal, you're not fit for this life, and that painting confirms it," Shauna continued, licking her fingers before pinching one of the flames on the candles, burning it out, "You were born evil. Embrace it."
The pendant glowed a deep red before covering the two villain kids in smoke. Once the smoke had dispersed, they were gone.
Mal closed her eyes and leant her head against the wall. She knew they were right, deep down. She knew that she couldn't really ever escape the path her mum had built for her, and she knew that she'd never really be able to handle the royal life. So, with her decision made, Mal pushed off the wall and stood up, slipping back into her heels. She took one final look at the painting before setting off, down the corridors of paintings and back to the main celebration.
Her plan was simple. She was going to leave the hall unseen and go back to her dorm to pack. However, the moment she set foot in the great hall, she knew all eyes were on her. Or at least it felt like it. She could hear the two elderly ladies talking about her on her left, and she'd spotted the terrified look a young girl was giving her on the right.
"That's Maleficent's daughter there, I can't believe Ben invited her!"
"They're dating Maureen, what did you expect? I think he's under a love spell personally!"
Mal could feel her heart beating faster. She needed to get out. Swiftly, she made her way to the garden doors, craving the feeling of fresh air. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, someone grabbed her other hand, a warm feeling rushing through her.
"Why are you leaving?" Ben's voice asked timidly, his grip on Mal's hand steady.
"I just need some fresh air," Mal lied.
"Then why won't you turn around."
With a deep breath, Mal turned around to face Ben. The moment her eyes met his, she knew she couldn't do this. She knew he'd never let her leave if she told him the truth. So, swallowing back the tears, Mal reached for the ring around her finger.
"Ben, I can't do this," Mal began nervously, "It doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean?" Ben replied, his grip on Mal's hand loosening.
Mal took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she uttered the next words.
"I don't love you."
She felt the warmth of Ben's hand leave her. His eyes were wide, shining with unshed tears. She quickly turned around and grabbed the door handle, refusing to let Ben see her own heartbroken expression. With a sigh, she opened the door, removing the ring before turning back to Ben.
"Goodbye Ben."
With a final glance, she let the ring clatter to the floor before stepping into the fresh air of the garden. She closed the door behind her, closing her eyes and leaning back against it. She didn't cry, she never cried, and she definetly wasn't about to cry for a boy. She was strong, she was evil, and she was going to prove it.
She clicked her fingers, transforming the shoes into more comfortable boots and her dress into her usual villain attire. She'd barely have a few hours before her friends realised she was gone. So, with one last long look at the castle, she made her way to the courtyard and to the garage, knowing exactly what was inside.
She was going back to the Isle of The Lost.