"Hey," Evie said as she entered my room, holding some brown fabric in her arms. "Are you ready for Coronation?"
I turned away from the full length mirror by my window, donning a plain backless white dress that I managed to borrow in time for the event. With everything that has been happening lately, I've forgotten that I've never owned any formal gowns and was totally unprepared for Ben's Coronation. "Ready as I can be," I gave her a wry smile. "You look beautiful, by the way."
Wrinkling her nose, Evie closed the door behind her. "Thanks, but what are you wearing?" She eyed my dress distastefully, settling on my hideous pink bed. "If you're trying to be more Auradon, you're not pulling it off, at all."
"I know," I moaned, gripping the white fabric. "I look awful, but I don't have anything else that fits the dress code."
Giving me a cheeky smile, she revealed the gorgeous floor length dress in her hands. It was in a rich shade of auburn, the top was a strapless bustier with an intricate maze of beadwork and a sweetheart neckline. The dress was solid and of a tighter fit until mid-thigh before the fabric began to flow out and fade into a slightly sheer mesh of lace, ending near the floor and trailing out nearly half a foot behind. "I figured since I was designing Mal and my own dresses," She grinned. "I should make yours too."
"Evie," I awed at the gown. "It's breath-taking, I can't thank you enough!"
"Well, for starters, you can actually put it on and let me see how great it looks," Evie answered. "And let me do your hair and makeup. You look pale."
Gagging internally at the thought of slapping on more than whatever I just applied my face, I pouted. "Are you sure you'd rather not keep me in your debt for all eternity?"
"Go sit in a chair, Andy."
TIMESKIP
Coronation Hall was filled to the brim to celebrate Ben's Coronation. I was standing with Evie, Carlos (plus Dude) and Jay on the balcony, watching as Ben approached the dais. Mal was standing by his parents right up front, practically arm-length from Fairy Godmother's wand. Warm smiles were on everyone's faces as Fairy Godmother prepared to bless the prince into his Kingliness. She was worried, it was practically written on her face. Not that we were any different. Even the dog looked nervous.
The people bowed and curtsied in a wave as Ben passed us all. But he only relaxed from his rigid form and smiled as he approached Mal and his parents. Taking the crown from King Adam's head, she placed in on Ben's as he knelt on the step in front of her. Lifting the Beast's spell jar from the wand, she took it in her hands and faced him.
"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon with justice and mercy," She asked. "As long as you shall reign?"
"I do solemnly swear."
"Then it is my honour and my joy to bless our new king-" Fairy Godmother smiled, ready to bless him with her wand.
It was then when it was snatched right out of her grip and then everyone gasped. A stream of light burst from the wand and towards the ceiling. All four of us were in shocked. We had known that the wand was going to be taken, yes. But we didn't expect this at all. It wasn't Mal, but by her own daughter, Jane. The wand fizzled and crackled with uncontrolled magic as Jane struggled to keep it in her grasp. "Child, what are you doing?" Fairy Godmother shouted at the girl, she and Ben's mom holding on to King? Adam.
"If you won't make me beautiful, I'll do it myself," Jane exclaimed. "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"
Shrieks filled the room as everyone backed from the turbulent magic that sprouted from the wand. "Take cover!" Adam commanded everyone, shielding his wife and Fairy Godmother from the stray sparkles. Ben rushed to protect Mal from the wand, standing between her and Jane. Rushing from behind him, Mal shot forward and tried to pry the wand from Jane's grip, causing more sparks to fly everywhere. Rushing from the balcony, we ran for the stairs, pushing past frightened onlookers.
"Careful, Mal!" The Queen yelled.
Wrenching the wand from Jane's hand, Mal tightened her grip around it till her fingers turned white. Jane stared in shock, glancing around the hall before running away. Ben slowly approached Mal, her face extremely stressed and frightened. "Mal, give me the wand." He coaxed.
"STAND BACK!" Mal yelled, pointing the wand threateningly. Ben got closer, trying to reason with her. "It's okay," He tried to say.
"Ben," Mal gritted her teeth and pushed forward, wand-first. "I said stand back!"
Bursting through the door, we made it in time to see Audrey step forward with a scowl on her face. "I told you so-" She started saying, heading towards Mal. But Mal wasn't having any of it; one point of the wand Audrey paled and fell back into Chad and her grandmother.
"Mal, let's go," I whispered, sending glares to everyone else.
"Revenge time," Jay hissed.
Ben looked at us, then Mal, his mouth in a grim line. "You really want to do this?" He asked Mal.
"We have no choice, Ben," She cried. "Our parents-"
"Your parents made their choice. Now you make yours," He cut in.
"I think I want to be good." Mal whispered, glancing around and then at the King and Queen.
"You are good."
"How do you know that?" She yelled.
"Because..." Ben's face hardened in determination. "Because I'm listening to my heart."
Mal's shoulders fell, her face and stance relaxing as she lowered the wand. "I want to listen to my heart, too." She said, slowly turning to us with a smile. "And my heart is telling me that we are not our parents."
"I mean, stealing things doesn't make you happy," She told Jay. "Tourney and victory pizza with the team makes you happy."
"And Andy," Mal turned to me. "Even if you hide it, you're actually really proud to be on the cheerleading team. And you're great at it." Shoot, she's going to make me cry.
"And you, scratching Dude's belly makes you happy." She laughed to Carlos. "Who would've thought?"
"And Evie," Mal said, tears in her eyes and her voice slightly cracking. "You don't have to play dumb to get a guy. You are so smart."
"And I don't want to take over the world with evil," She said. "It doesn't make me happy."
"I want to go to school," She continued, then turning towards Ben. "And be with Ben. Because Ben makes me really happy."
Turning her gaze back to us, she sniffled. "Us being friends makes me really happy," She said. "Not destroying things. I choose good, you guys." Mal put out her fist.
"I choose good, too." Jay smiled, holding his fist out next to Mal. "I choose good." Evie placed hers too.
"Good," I grinned, joining the forming circle, my eyes tearing up.
"So, just to be clear," Carlos broke in. "We don't have to be worried about how really mad our parents will be? Because they're going to be really, really mad."
"Your parents can't reach you here." Ben mentioned from behind us.
"Okay, then." Carlos put forward his fist too. "Good." Mal nodded to Ben to joined us, placing his fist forward too, he completed our circle.
Suddenly the ground rumbled and glass shattered from above us. Green mist spiraled into the Coronation Hall after bursting through the stained glass of the building. Rolling onto the ground, Maleficent began to reform from the mist right in front of our eyes, her scepter in her hand. "I'm back!" She exclaimed to Fairy Godmother and King Adam.
Oh shit.