Here's the newest story in my Descendants series. I hope you've read my previous stories. Enjoy.
Note: Italics in this chapter mean narration by Mal.
Leave a review after reading. Please.
"Hi, everyone. It's me. The thought-to-be-dead but still-alive daughter of Maleficent. This is a whole new chapter to my story. I'm sure this question has been buzzing around your head since the ending of that wild adventure on the Forgotten Island. 'When is Mal going to tell everyone that she's alive?' But that's not the focus of this story. Have you ever heard of the saying, 'Things are not always as what they seem.' For example, you may think that all fire does is burn everything to the ground, but there is one type of fire that only burns something down in order to create something new. Believe me? Well, I'm just gonna cut to the story, and maybe you'll see my point."
Several men and women are gathering in an abandoned warehouse in a secluded area in the middle of the night. They were all invited via letters, but all they say is to come to the place without telling why or who the person is. One hundred people have arrived at the warehouse. The lights suddenly turn on. They can all see an area full of electronic equipment and large TV screens. The people continue to wonder who called for them. They started hearing loud footsteps.
"Who is there?" called out a man.
No one answered. Standing in front of the people is someone wearing an unknown type of armor and a customized helmet.
"Who are you?" asked a woman.
"My name is unimportant," said the mysterious knight. The knight spoke in a female voice, but it was amplified to sound different.
"You're disguising your voice with your helmet," guessed a teenage boy.
"Smart kid," complimented the knight.
"I'm a technological expert myself," said the boy.
"Are you the one who brought us here?" asked a man.
"I did," confirmed the knight.
"Why?" asked the man.
The knight takes out a remote and turns on the screens. They showed a picture of Auradon Prep's first villain kids - Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos. "Them," she said.
"But two of them are dead," said a man.
"That's not the point," said the knight. "Let's start with what we all have in common. We all lost someone we love from the day of 'lights raining from the sky.'"
Everyone hangs their heads in grief.
"And you all know the reason for that. Maleficent," continued the knight.
"Maleficent is dead," reminded a woman. "King Ben told everyone that Mal executed her own mother."
"Again, not the point," said the knight. "Haven't you all noticed what has happened ever since our new king invited the four villain kids here in Auradon? Suffering. Misery. Death."
"What do you want to do?" asked a man.
"I want to fix this," said the knight. "I want to bring Auradon back to its days of peace and harmony before Ben sat on that throne. We spent twenty years without having to worry about villains trying to destroy everything, but that all changed when our king gave those four misfits a chance to live here."
"You want to usurp the throne? But that sounds like something a villain would do," said a woman.
"You're right," confirmed the knight. "I do want the throne, but my only wish is to end all the suffering King Ben has brought to his people. Make no question that I do believe he is a great king, but that one decision he made has caused the deaths of many. I do not even want to share my pain, but I want his reign to end."
"And you need our help? Why would he help you with this crazy idea?" criticized a man.
"I am but one person. I cannot succeed without help," said the knight. "If you all help me, I promise that I will do as I say when the throne is mine."
"The king would not approve this. You will start a war," warned a woman.
"I do not wish to spill blood. I only wish for the king to surrender his title as ruler," said the knight. "As long as the villain kids reside here in Auradon, the constant struggles will never end. We put them in their rightful spot in this world and the suffering will end."
"But this is tyranny," said a man. "You have no right to do this."
"I lost my family!" yelled the knight. She turns her back, hangs her head, and continues. "All I want is to ensure that Auradon is a safe haven once again. I am not forcing you to cooperate. I am only hoping that you can see the advantages of my vision. Auradon, free of suffering."
The people all looked at each other.
"If we join you, will you keep your promise?" asked a woman.
"On my parents' grave, I promise," said the knight. "Raise your hand if you're in."
After more exchanged looks, almost everyone raised their hands. Only one man didn't move.
"Before I raise my hand, I need your name," he demanded.
"My name is none of your business," said the knight. "But you can call me... 'The Fire Ranger.'"
One year later...
At a chemical laboratory, there was a giant hole on the side of the entrance. Firemen and authorities arrived after getting a call of a fire. As soon as they arrived, they called the king. After a couple of hours, Ben, along with parents, finally arrived.
"What happened here?" asked Ben.
"A robbery, your highness," answered a guard.
"A robbery?" questioned a surprised Belle. "What kind of person in Auradon would rob?"
"We don't know," said the guard. "But we know what's stolen."
A scientist who worked in the lab stepped forward to tell the king. "The stolen chemicals make a chemical compound called ammonium nitrate, which can be used for explosives."
"That doesn't sound good," commented Beast.
"Are you sure there aren't any clues that would lead us to who broke in?" asked Ben.
"I'm afraid not," said the guard. "We believe whoever broke in caused the fire to cover his tracks."
"Times like this, I wish Carlos was here," said Ben.
"Well, he's not here. So we're gonna have to solve this mystery ourselves," said Beast.
"Can you wait here? I gotta make a phone call," asked Ben.
"Take all the time you need," said Beast.
Ben walks away from hearing distance from his parents and the people so he can talk on the phone in private. He texts Mal's number and waits for her to answer. Apparently, while trying to stay hidden, Mal gave Ben her new phone number and still trusted him not to look for her. Unfortunately, all he got was, "This is Bertha. I'm busy right now, so leave a message."
After hearing the beep, Ben says, "Hi, Mal. It's Ben. I hope you've been having fun, but now I'm asking you to come back. I don't know why, but I feel like something big is about happen, and it's not good. Someone in Auradon is planning something sinister, and you know that you're the person I trust the most with situations like this. Please, come back."
Ben ends the call and returns to his parents.
Meanwhile, in the castle of Prince Philip and Princess Aurora, lounging in the guest room is a blonde, blue-eyed teenage girl named Mal, though she prefers "Bertha" as part of her cover. She was just lying down on the couch, reading a magazine, until, from the corner of her eye, she sees her phone blinking, meaning she just received either a voice message or a text message. She looks into it and sees that Ben sent her a message. She listens to it and becomes conflicted.
"This is usually the time the hero asks himself, or herself, 'What am I going to do?' That seems to be the story of my life. For better or worse, I will make the choice my heart tells me to make. But to be honest, I really wish my choice results for the better. Who doesn't? If I do come back, can they ever forgive me for this?"
Remember, folks, this is just the beginning. There's more to the story than how it starts.
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