FINALLY!
FIFTY-SEVEN CHAPTERS LATER we are FINALLY getting to the idea I first mentioned at the VERY beginning of this story! I can't wait for all of you to finally see it! Although, it is a little dark, I think a majority of you will somewhat like this twist. Be sure to tell me your reaction!
The 'main' part of my idea will only last for a couple chapters, but the 'side-effects' will continue until nearly the last chapter of the story. The 'side-effects' will heal after a mild, yet heated confrontation between three kings, maybe even four.
Again: be sure to tell me your reactions! I would really like to know! And I really shouldn't be so excited about this.
Oh! And someone had commented about how the Smee twins had little involvement with "Descendants 3". I have a minor idea that will make them more slightly more involved with the help of one more character. After all true love's kiss doesn't have to be a romantic kiss; it can be a kiss on a forehead or cheek from a family member or someone that is close enough to be considered a sibling or parent.
Enjoy.
There were no words to describe how grateful Mal was to attend Jane's birthday party. After being harassed nonstop by news-reporters and then having her heartbroken by King Beast wanting to close the barrier forever, the Isle Queen was really looking forward to the distraction. Honestly, Mal was more looking forward to leaving the party.
As stated in the previous chapter, Ben and Mal made plans to leave the celebration about half an hour early so they leave for the Isle of the Lost. Ben would bring the medicine with him to the party, he and Mal would collect the Enchanted Lake water, and then leave from the Enchanted Lake to the island. Once they are on the island, the couple will head over to Mal's parents' where Ben will finally meet her parents in person, though the married couple wouldn't know about the surprise visit.
Sadly . . . the day wouldn't go as Mal had planned anyways.
Mal walked out the glass French doors of Evie's starter castle, wearing a new purple skort for the occasion. She was carrying Jane's present in her hand, which was wrapped with green tissue paper and placed inside a purple gift bag. Mal had decided to go ahead of her friends to make up for the time that she would be gone from the party.
Though she didn't realize she wouldn't have a chance to go.
You see, as soon as Mal closed the door behind her, she noticed this mysterious billowing pink smoke from the corner of her eye. When she turned her head, Mal's eyes widened at the . . . villain's appearance.
This . . . warrior enchantress—for that is what she looked like—had rich magenta ombre hair flowing from deep rose roots to midnight blue tips. She wore a black-and-blush fitted leather 'jump-suit' and a black feather accented duster. Her necklace charm was of a dark black raven that seemed to be attacking the bright bluebird. The sorceress was gorgeous, yet menacing, and scary enough, Mal knew exactly who the perpetrator was.
Cradling the Dragon's Eye in her hand and wearing the queen's sapphire crown on her newly colored hair, the villain cooed sadistically, "I was hoping you were home."
"Audrey," Mal greeted cautiously with a light nod, though she kept her eyes on the dangerous weapon. "What are you doing with the crown and the scepter?"
"Well I wanted them, so I took them!" Audrey tilted her head with a snide smile, her eyes radiating malice. "You should understand that, Mal! After all, you took Ben from me."
"Audrey, I mean this in the best way, but you are delusional," Mal corrected calmly as she sat Jane's present on a nearby table so it wouldn't be ruined. "You abused him, both physically and mentally. If I hadn't been invited to Auradon, it would have only been a matter of time before he did something that would have been your fault."
"No, it wouldn't of," Audrey denied with a careless shrug. "If he would have done what you're insinuating, then it just would have proved how weak he was and how he doesn't deserve to be a king."
Deciding not to make a retort, Mal decided to change the subject to the current situation. "Audrey, this isn't you—"
"You do not know me," Audrey scoffed with an obnoxious roll of eyes, flexing her hand that was gripping the scepter. "Nobody does anymore! I had the perfect life until you appeared. You ruined everything!"
"Audrey," Mal cooed as she took a cautious step forward, hoping she could grab the scepter. "Please, this isn't you talking. It's the scepter. It was created from all the negative emotions my mother felt over the years. You were transformed into this evil form because of it, while I only fell asleep when I first touched it. I'm only going to ask you once: hand over the scepter and you'll be forgiven for what you've done."
"For what I've done?!" Audrey screamed incredulously. "I've been trying to piece my life back together! I was supposed to be the queen until you stole it from me!"
"I didn't steal anything from you," Mal denied while somehow still maintaining her peaceful tone. "Although you technically should have nearly no royal blood on your mother's side, you are still a princess on your father's side. You still have a chance of being a queen—"
"Not of the entire kingdom of Auradon!" Audrey argued vehemently.
Twirling around so her back was facing toward the fairy, Audrey stormed away, her luscious hair whipping around with every stride. "It's time for a little revenge."
Once she was a good distance away, Audrey pivoted in place so she could look at Mal properly. Waving the luminous scepter in her direction, Mal was suddenly surrounded in a dark pink smoke.
A burning sensation crawled up both of Mal's legs, which became worse with every passing moment. The moment she glanced down, her eyes widened in fear as she let out a blood-curdling scream—one that was even worse than her mother's when she first lost her wings. Audrey had indeed cursed Mal by using her very weakness against her.
Slowly wrapping itself around Mal's entire body—starting from her legs, up her stomach, down her arms, and around her neck—were thick chains formed from iron, the greatest weakness of any fairy.
Tighter and tighter the chains squeezed with her screams growing louder and louder. It was like the iron chains were trying to embed itself into her skin, as the chains had somehow managed to get underneath her clothing. Her screams only stopped when the chain around her neck became so tight that she could hardly make another sound. Mal was on the very edge of being choked.
Mal collapsed onto her knees when the pain became unbearable, her hands gripping the chains around her neck in hopes she could loosen it enough for her to breathe properly.
Soaking up Mal's excruciatingly pained reaction, Audrey cackled with glee. "Think Ben will love you if you're dead?" She teased quite darkly. "You'll pay the price for what you did with your life!"
Finally, after what felt like centuries, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Celia ran out of the house after hearing the unusual commotion. They stopped abruptly on the driveway when they noticed Audrey's new villainous look and the dreadful scepter in her possession. Then, they gawked at seeing Mal in her life-threatening situation.
Audrey didn't bother basking the newcomers' shocked and horrified expressions. With a simple twirl, the new villain princess disappeared in a cloud of black and pink smoke.
Once they were sure she was gone, Jay rushed to Mal's aid. Once he was at her side, he tugged on the chains as hard as he could in hopes of setting her free or at least easing some of the pain. In reaction to the brute force, the chain squeezed tighter, causing Mal to let out a small painful cry. Reluctantly, Jay had to stop with his actions so he wouldn't make it worse.
"Brute force won't work," Jay grumbled as he stepped back from his friend. "I should have known. The Dragon's Eye wouldn't let something as simple as that break the spell."
"What do we do then?" Carlos wondered as he knelt to Mal's height to better exam the dire situation. "From what my momma told me about Maleficent's scepter, there's nothing in Auradon that can break its spell; not even Fairy Godmother's wand."
Struggling with all her might, Mal managed to croak out, "Ember . . ."
"Her father's ember!" Evie clarified so her constrained friend wouldn't have to say much more. "That's it! The ember is just as strong as the scepter, maybe even more! All we have to do is go to her parents' home, grab the ember, and then use it to break the spell on Mal and whoever else Audrey decides to curse next."
"But Hades won't be home by the time you arrive at the Isle of the lost," Celia informed somewhat timidly due to the stressful situation. "I've been his errand rat for the past couple years. Every week on this weekday Hades spends a few hours at his lair while he has Cruella watching over Maleficent because he can't stand seeing his wife look so weak and ill. I've got copy of the key to his lair at my father's arcade."
Mal glanced up at Celia, desperation in her eyes as she pointed at the young teenage girl, rasping, "You're . . . coming . . ."
"But I just got here," Celia whined disappointedly.
"Celia!" Evie scolded as she glared at the young girl. "Quit being so selfish! Mal's life is in danger!"
Although the were advised to stay inside during the first commotion, Dizzy cautiously in the doorway with Squeaky and Squirmy on either side of her, holding their hands in a way to comfort them. They were all dressed in nice summer clothing, ready to leave for Jane's birthday party.
"Mal?" Dizzy wondered, her voice cracking with curiosity.
A single tear dripped down Dizzy's cheek in horror once she fully took in Mal's current condition. Meanwhile, the twins buried their faces into her side at seeing such a sight.
Evie's heart went out to the terrified kids. "Dizzy, stay here and take care of the twins. We'll be right back. Everything is going to be just fine," she promised, hoping the younger VKs bought her fake-confidence act. Then she turned to Carlos, Jay, and Celia. "Go get your stuff. Jay, find an extra remote to the barrier just in case we need a backup route."
As the trio ran inside the starter castle, Evie adverted her attention Mal. After helping her constricted friend to her feet, Evie gave her a warm, comforting smile. "Let's get you changed into something else," she suggested calmly. "I think we should hide the iron chains as best as we can, so we don't scare or frighten anyone else."
Nodding as best as she could, Mal struggled to her feet as Evie helped her into the home to get her dressed in something a little more . . . fabulous.
A little while later she, Evie, Jay, and Carlos peeled through the forest on their custom-detailed motorbikes, with Celia riding on the back of Jay's. If it were a different situation, Celia would have ridden with Mal just to make sure that she'd cross over the barrier safely, but considering that was she was covered in iron, this was the best solution. Celia wasn't complaining though. It gave her a chance to hug her old childhood crush and appreciate his rock-hard abs and muscles.
The group, all wearing helmets in their signature colors, pulled to a stop on a rocky bluff and looked out across Auradon Bay. Mal lifted her safety goggled. Her eyes flashed green as she—as slowly as she could—chanted from memory: "Noble . . . steeds . . . proud . . . and . . . fair . . . you . . . shall . . . take . . . us . . . anywhere." With a zing of enchantment, the motorbikes roared to like and magically zipped across the surface of the sea toward the Isle.
All silently praying that the queen could be saved in time.
It was the perfect day for a birthday party at the Enchanted Lake, and Jane's guests were having blast. They splashed in the crystalline green water and enjoyed cupcakes off a three-tiered pastry stand. Several girls in summer dresses gathered around a crystal punch bowl. A periwinkle banner reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE hung above their heads. The banner, of course, was decorated with pink bows.
Without warning, a fierce wind swept through the party with a whoosh. The music died instantly, and up on the grass a cloud of threatening pink smoke swirled. Jane's guests gasped as Audrey appeared, wearing the queen's crown and holding Maleficent's infamous scepter.
"Anyone save me guacamole?" she asked a surprised young man. "No?"
Audrey swanned around Jane's party just like Maleficent had at the christening years earlier. "Seems like someone forgot to invite me."
Audrey plucked a blue-frosted cupcake out of a party guest's hands and chucked it to the ground with spite. "Don't expect Mal," she insisted. "She's—" Audrey paused to toss the cupcake behind her with a careless shrug. "A little chained up."
Jane furrowed her brow with worry. "Audrey, what did you do?"
"Nothing that she didn't deserve!" Audrey claimed before making a show of spinning the scepter and pointing it at the detestable party guests. "How could you fools accept someone like her? How could you forget that I was supposed to be queen!"
Audrey raised the staff and was about to release havoc on the party when Chad scampered down the hill, waving his hands in the air, frantic to catch her attention. He darted to Audrey's side. "Time out, time out!" He held out his hands in a failed attempt to calm the situation. "First off, great look. Love the feathers."
Audrey glared at him with contempt as Chad kept rambling, abandoning all hope of seeming like a brave and gallant prince and pleaded like a peasant. "Before you do whatever you're going to do, I was wondering if maybe you wanted a loyal boyfriend by your side? Partner in crime? Sidekick?"
"My grandfather murdered a king with no help," Audrey informed with a curious tilt of her head. "Why would I need your help cursing an entire kingdom when I have already cursed a fairy to a slow, painful death? In fact . . ."
She trailed off as she gazed over the rest of the loathsome party. "I think I'll curse you all into a long slumber."
Strolling menacingly between the scattered guests, ominous fog rolled in behind her, putting clusters of students to sleep on the spot. Haughty and imperious, Audrey paraded around the lakeside, spreading her curse of endless sleep across the entire party. Once she believed all the guests were asleep, Audrey stood on top of a rocky cliff to look out at her surroundings. Satisfied with the results, Audrey slammed the scepter ruthlessly into the ground, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
However, Audrey didn't realize that the birthday girl was still fully conscious.
Jane stood alone on the stone pavilion as the magical fog rolled closer and closer to her. It would put her to sleep the moment it touched her. Luckily, Jane thought of a solution.
Wading into the magical waters of the Enchanted Lake, Jane dove underwater, holding her breath for as long as she could to avoid the spell. After believing that the coast was clear, she rose to the surface with a gasp of air. Quickly climbing into the pavilion, Jane wrapped a towel around her wet shoulders before grabbing her pink phone with a gold bow charm.
Dialing a certain number, she raised the phone to her ear, anxiously waiting for the person to answer.
"Hey, Jane," Ben greeted on the other line. "I'm on my way to the party. The meeting ran long."
"No!" Jane shouted into the phone. "Stay where you are, Ben! Audrey's got the scepter and everyone's asleep. I'm gonna call Mom and tell her to get her wand."
Hanging up the phone without waiting for a response, Jane grabbed a nearby water gun filled with Enchanted Lake water, just in case she needed it to break another spell.
More.
Jane stopped in her tracks, surprised to here a strange, yet welcoming voice in her head.
My grand-daughter will need the magic water to help my niece with her injuries.
Gather as much as you can carry without hurting yourself.
You will be grateful that you did.
Nodding to herself at the currently confusing quest, Jane searched around herself to find the appropriate supplies. Conveniently, there were quite about thirty to forty empty quart-sized plastic jars and a couple empty gallon jugs on the other side of the pavilion, along with an extra-large backpack. Jane went to work on filling all the containers—
Not knowing her hard work would help heal a queen.