Captured By Pirates
This chapter focuses on King Ben and his feelings about his breakup with Mal. This chapter is rated K: Content suitable for most ages.
[Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Descendants 2, nor the dialogue used from the film. Some dialogue from the film has been included in order to maintain continuity with the events of the film. No copyright infringement or theft of intellectual property is intended.]
Chapter 2
Blinded by tears, Ben made his way past the VKs and turned to walk down the nearby alley. He just needed to get away. He didn't want anyone to see his pain. How could Mal think that Auradon would be better off without her, that he would be better off without her? He wouldn't even be king if it weren't for her. She and the other VKs had saved all of Auradon, back when Jane, the daughter of Fairy Godmother, had taken her mother's wand, in a misguided act of rebellion. Jane believed that the only way she could be beautiful and popular was through magic. But then she lost control of the wand, and it shot out a beam of power, which struck the protective barrier around the Isle of the Lost. It was then that Maleficent seized her chance to strike back against the Kingdom of Auradon. She crashed into the coronation hall and froze everyone except for the four Villain Kids: Evie, Carlos, Jay, and her daughter Mal.
Maleficent believed that her daughter had freed her and that they would take over the kingdom together. But living in Auradon had changed Mal, she was no longer afraid of her mother. She no longer wanted to destroy or hurt people. She had come to realize that all the anger and malice she felt towards Auradon had all come from her mother. And Mal proved herself good when she and the other VKs stood up to Maleficent. Through their friendship they overcame the evil sorceress, and she was transformed into a small lizard. Without her power, Maleficent's spell holding the court captive was broken. Ben had witnessed all of this and knew that Mal really had changed and that she was good now. This had been his hope all along, that living in Auradon would show the children of villains that they could walk a different path from their parents, that they had a choice. And Evie, Carlos, Jay, and especially Mal had proven this to everyone that day.
Until their fight, Ben hadn't realized just how hard it was for Mal to continue to choose "good." He had thought it was a complete and irreversible transformation, just like when his father had change from beast to man, because of Belle's love. Ben had thought his love for Mal would lead her to always choose "good." But now he saw just how naïve he had been. Mal had been raised to be evil her whole life, how could he expect one great act of good to override a lifetime of evil habits and thoughts? Still, Mal had seemed to be adapting to life in Auradon so well. She was sweet, kind, thoughtful, and loving. He knew that her magical powers were still a part of her, but Mal had been working so hard to fit in, that he had thought that was what she wanted.
Now he understood. She had done that all for him. She wanted to be the perfect future queen for Auradon and for him. But their last fight had shown him all the pressure that she was under. It was no wonder she had sought to escape all the expectations being laid upon her by returning to the Isle. Ben knew that Mal wasn't like those other blond and perky princesses at Auradon Prep, and he didn't want her to be. He loved her for who she was, a Villain Kid who chose to be good. A woman who continued to steal his heart every time she looked at him, a woman who was more "good" than she realized. She was willing to sacrifice her love for him to protect the Kingdom of Auradon and his crown. But now she was wrong; he and Auradon were better because of her.
As his belief in this truth grew Ben stopped walking. He wiped away his tears and turned around, determined to talk to Mal again and convince her that she was good for him and the Kingdom of Auradon. As he ran back down the alley, back towards his love, he heard a cry for help. Ben stopped and looked to see who had cried out. Then he heard the voice again, it was coming from behind a broken door, which was hanging halfway off its hinges, set in a nearby building.