Okay - I don't know everything there is to know about Descendants, I just know that I have watched both movies several times and have really enjoyed them. The characters are ripe for future stories, and I am excited to participate in this fandom. So please forgive me if I step on any toes or get details wrong. Oh yeah - and I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to someone else, I'm just borrowing them to create my own future story. :)
Spoilers for the first two movies included.
Synopsis: A new evil has arrived in Auradon, one that doesn't hesitate to use Mal as a pawn to defeat her sweet young king, and when it attacks everything changes. Now King Ben will be forced to channel his inner beast to save his girl, his kingdom, and protect all those he loves...but can he keep himself intact in the process?
WARNING: This story will get kind of dark in a few places. Nothing too terrible, but it will definitely never get picked up by Disney! But if the only stories you like are about fluffy pink princesses you probably wouldn't be here in the first place. ;)
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Blue and yellow robes flutter in the breeze, the bright spring sunshine of a beautiful Auradon afternoon cooled by the movement of the sweet-smelling air. The large garden on the school grounds was currently filled to capacity, as the hundreds of students, capped and tasseled in various shades of blue and gold, watched their king and fellow classmate finish his commencement address.
"It has been a remarkable four years for all of us," Ben commented, his gaze momentarily diverting to a bright purple head in the front row. Mal was dazzlingly beautiful today, he thought, her bright smile beaming back at him and threatening to make him forget the remainder of his well-prepared speech. Of course, that may also have been because at this point during his rehearsal with her the previous night she had deftly reached up with her lips from her place beside him on the couch and began nibbling his ear. The remaining few statements of his speech had been abruptly dropped on the floor in favor of wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and returning her kisses.
Focusing on that memory now, though, would effectively undo him. Instead he gave a huge smile to his classmates, barely able to ignore the adorable smirk from the front row as he pressed on with the conclusion of his speech. "Remarkable in that all of us have learned so much about ourselves. Not just about what is inside of us, but what has really MADE us the way we are and formed us into the individuals we are today."
"Our families..." he looked at his mother and father, beaming at him from the small sitting area to the side of the garden, thankful for the umpteenth time for their love and guidance.
"Our friends..." he turned his attention towards the long row of people he was privileged to call friends. Evie, Carlos, and Jay had grown into some of the best friends he had in the world, along with the multitude of kids he had grown up with his whole life.
"Our loves," he gently gazed down upon Mal, who was no longer smirking and was now completely transparent with the open adoration on her face directed at him.
"As we leave Auradon prep and begin the rest of our lives, let's not ever forget who we are and where we've come from," another pointed look at his colorful best friends and girlfriend. "It has made us into the amazing people we are today, and will carry us forward to a bright future. Congratulations to all of us, the Class of 2019!"
And with that, hundreds of blue and yellow caps were skyrocketed into the air, falling back to the ground in a rainstorm of tassels. Cheers and hugs were given all around, with many laughs and tears shed as the young adults realized their time together was drawing to a close.
Ben left his position at the podium to join Mal, and eventually all of their friends, in a large circle in the middle of the garden.
"Glad you were able to get through that speech, Your Highness," Mal whispered in his ear, her newest pet name for him going largely unacknowledged.
He chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her gently to his side. He turned to softly place his mouth next to her ear so that only she could hear him, "If I had known you thought graduation speeches were that attractive I would have practiced with you much much more."
Mal narrowed her eyes at him and punched him softly, any malice belied by the sweet smile that he quickly leaned in and kissed.
"And now, my fellow classmates," Jay began, rising to stand atop one of the chairs and turning to address all of their friends. "Now, we celebrate!"
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"Do you think he'll ask you tonight?" Evie asked, a delicious grin on her face.
"Evie!" Mal shook her head, exasperated with her roommate's fixation on her eventual engagement. "You know Ben and I have talked about that. He has so much going on with the kingdom, and we just now graduated, like today, remember?" she held up her bright blue graduation cap for evidence as if her best friend had indeed forgotten.
"I know, you keep saying that," Evie admitted as she helped Mal zip up her gown. "But I have to think that Ben was just waiting for today. After all, you know it's going to happen sometime soon."
"Well, no, not necessarily..." Mal blustered. "Ben and I have talked..."
"Talk, talk, talk!" Evie interrupted. "One of these days he needs to just take charge and make it happen."
Mal stared into the mirror, glaring at her roommate's reflection behind her. "Ben's not really a 'take charge' kind of guy."
"Yeah, no kidding," she mumbled.
"Evie!" Mal's jaw dropped.
"Well, what do you want me to say? You guys have been attached at the hip for the past two years since you got back from the Isle. And I'm glad he's a gentleman and has never pushed you for anything, even when you hadn't even told him you loved him."
Mal's head momentarily dropped at the memory. She had almost lost Ben when she had fled back to the Isle instead of trusting him and talking things out, and Evie was right; since the aftermath they had become inseparable. She had allowed herself to be completely filled with his love, and had enjoyed doing the same for him. And while they had casually talked about future plans of marriage, they were nowhere near anything definite.
"I sense a big 'but' coming," Mal warned.
Evie stopped fussing with Mal's hair to place both of her hands on her shoulders and gaze into her friend's reflection in the mirror. "I'm just saying there's nothing to wait for. You both know what an amazing love you have, so why are you waiting? Why doesn't he just take charge and bring out a little of that Beast and ask you to marry him?"
The purple head bobbed again, her chin touching her chest. "Because he is the sweetest, gentlest, most loving man ever? Because he would rather die than do anything that makes me the least bit uncomfortable? Because he knows I've struggled with feeling like my life is all planned out and pre-destined and he doesn't want me to feel anything other than cherished and special where he is concerned?"
Tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes and Evie quickly grabbed a tissue for Mal to dab them. "And because I know he loves me more than anything, and he is content to just continue being sweet, gentle and loving Ben because he knows I'm still scared to death that I'll screw this up."
"I know, Mal, I'm sorry," Evie sighed. "I know you're scared, but you're right. He is a wonderful man, and he loves you. Oh does he ever love you," she laughed rubbing Mal's arm. "He was a wreck when you left him, and honestly that's the only time I guess I've ever seen him really willing to fight for something."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well," Evie began, not sure how to explain it. "You left, and once he found out it was all he could think about. He was going to the Isle to try to bring you back no matter what. And the only two times I can ever think of him almost going all 'Beast-like' were the two times your life was in danger, first from your mother and then from Uma."
"Hmm..." Mal contemplated her words, chewing on her bottom lip. "I know it might be kind of boring to you, but I really like regular Ben. Plus, can you imagine if we had a Beast and a Dragon around here together very much?"
Evie laughed, and the seriousness of the moment had passed. However, Evie's words had triggered something in Mal's mind, something she had been pondering for quite a while now, and something that she was now more certain than ever was absolutely necessary. She would need to discuss it with Fairy Godmother, but she now felt a feeling of urgency that had previously been absent in her musings, and knew it needed to occur soon.
As quickly as she could she finished her preparations and left their room, hoping for enough time to talk to the good fairy about it before the party got fully underway.
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A stronger breeze had picked up as the graduation celebration began. No storms were forecasted for the evening, but the wind had definitely intensified as Ben waited for Mal at the entrance of the garden. Absently he reached into his pocket for the ring he had been carrying with him for the previous few months. He often checked to make sure it was still safe and accounted for, even though he had absolutely no idea when the right time would come along to present it to Mal.
He was sure she would think him crazy for carrying it around with him for so long, but he knew that when the right time came along he would know it and he wanted to be prepared. Hopefully someday when they were old and grey they would have a good laugh about it, but for now it was comforting to know that it was there and ready.
"Penny for your thoughts," she spooked him from behind.
"Mal!" he spun around, quickly stuffing the ring back into the bottom of his pocket and smiling broadly as he got a good look at her. "You look beautiful," he whispered.
"Thank you, your Highness," she curtsied.
He cocked his head to the side, knowing she only called him that to goad him into a response. "Really?"
For a brief moment her mischievous grin surfaced, the one he very rarely saw anymore and loved dearly. Then it was quickly replaced with a serious, albeit loving gaze.
"Really," she said, moving to put her arms around his torso and pull him close, burying her face in his chest.
"Whoa, what's all this for?" he queried as he hugged her back, rubbing his hands up and down her arms before locking them behind her. "I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything."
Mal took a small step back to meet his eyes, still enveloped in his arms. "I love you, Ben."
Ben gazed into the deep green orbs currently drinking him in, noting a yearning he had never seen there before. It was powerful enough to overwhelm him, and for a moment he was rendered speechless.
"Mal...I..." he said softly, "I love you too." He leaned down slightly to meet her lips with his, and though they had kissed hundreds of times before there was something special about this kiss that he couldn't describe. His hands found her waist and the back of her neck, embedding in her curls as he pulled her tighter against him. He felt as if he needed her to breathe and if he released her he would surely suffocate.
It lasted for several moments, and he knew she felt it too. When they finally parted she swayed slightly, prompting a tighter grip from him, and she had to gasp slightly to catch her breath. They stared at each other for a long moment, unsure as to what had just happened.
"Wow," she whispered breathlessly.
"Yeah," he echoed her sentiment. "What was that?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. But I want to do it again."
There it was; that mischievous grin he loved so well was back again. "Fine by me," he offered, mouth suddenly dry. Nerves began to take over, rendering him sweaty and clammy all at the same time, and he knew it was now or never. This was it, this was the moment he had been waiting for.
"First I need to ask you something though," he began, confidence building only slightly as he quickly worked through his plan. Realistically he just prayed he wasn't going to puke from nervousness.
"Yes?" she asked softly, still swaying slightly in his arms.
Ben released her with one arm and pulled the ring out of his pocket with the other hand. "Can we do that every day for the rest of our lives?" He brought the ring up to her field of vision, and suddenly clarity snapped back into place for Mal.
"Mal, will you marry me?"
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