Power Rangers: Mythic Descendants
Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants or Power Rangers! Descendants belongs to Disney. As for Power Rangers, ownership of the series has been returned to Saban (though for how long is anyone's guess). Meh…the point is that I don't own them.
Chapter 01: Powers Descend, Rangers Defend! (Part I)
~~~~The Next Day, The Isle of the Lost~~~~
"As you–as you REQUESTED–m-a'am," one of Maleficent's goblin minions said as he and four others struggled to restrain the massive crocodile that was furious, having being forcefully removed from the small cove on the uninhabited end of the Isle that it called home. "We have BROUGHT y-you Tick-Tock the Crocodile."
"Finally!" Queen Grimhilde snapped. "What the hell took you imbeciles so long?"
"As you–ugh!–can see, m'lady," another of the minions said. "The beast is be-ING!…quite uncooperative."
"Why exactly do we need this monstrosity, Grimhilde?" Jafar asked. "Can't we use something more…controllable than Tick-Tock?"
"Oh, I think it will be quite controllable once I'm done with it," the Evil Queen smirked as she opened Maleficent's spell book and raised her scepter. She then chanted:
"Spirit of Evil, hear my call;
Arise from your ashes and become my thrall!
Possess this body and make it your own,
And serve your mistress as she reclaims her throne!"
The Dragon's Eye began to glow with evil-green light as similarly-colored smoke rose from the ground and enveloped the crocodile. The giant reptile roared in pain as the smoke sank into its scaly body, taking it over and transforming it. Once the smoke was completely gone, Tick-Tock the Crocodile was no more. In the massive, green-scaled beast's place was a larger, two-legged creature that was equally green and scaly, but so much more powerful. It had the head of a crocodile with glowing red eyes and acid drool dripping from its giant, toothy mouth. Its arms and legs had massive muscles that looked like they could crush an armored tank. Green spikes protruded from its scaly hide, down its spine and all the way to the tip of its tail.
"How may I serve you, my mistress?" The transformed Tick-Tock asked as he kneeled before the Evil Queen. "I, Crocokiller, will do as you command."
Grimhilde's evil smile grew wider. "Take a squadron of minions to Auradon and spread chaos and panic to its people," she commanded.
"As you wish," Crocokiller replied as it stalked away to do its mistress' bidding.
Once the creature had left, Jafar and Cruella turned to their fellow evil-doer. "W-what was that thing?" Cruella asked with a hint of fear.
Grimhilde chuckled. "The spell that I took from Maleficent's spell book was a summoning ritual," she explained. "It called forth an evil spirit from the great beyond and infused it into Tick-Tock the Crocodile, transforming it and making it stronger, while at the same time putting it under my control. Crocokiller will now do as I say and wreak havoc upon the people of Auradon, reminding them of why they fear our power!"
"But how do you know that Crocokiller will follow your orders?" Jafar asked.
"So long as I hold Maleficent's staff, the forces of darkness are mine to command," Grimhilde replied. "Therefore, the creatures that I create with it will obey me."
Evil smirks appeared on Cruella and Jafar's faces. "With an army of powerful monsters at our disposal, not even the Fairy Godmother can stop us," Cruella realized.
"And if the Fairy Godmother can't stop us, then no one in Auradon can!" Jafar added.
"Exactly!" Grimhilde nodded. "Soon, the people of Auradon will know the strength of evil and once again cower before us, and nothing can stand in our way! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
~~~~Auradon Prep, After Class~~~~
"Good afternoon, Benny-boo," Mal said teasingly as she leaned against her locker.
The new king of Auradon turned and gave his girlfriend a look of playful annoyance. "You know, it couldn't be that hard to come up with your own pet name for me and not use the one that Audrey made up," he pointed out.
"But then I wouldn't be able to get under your skin," Mal smirked as she opened up her locker and put away her textbooks.
"Oh, I'm sure you can think of lots of other ways to tease me," Ben chuckled. "Just as I can think of lots of ways to tease you."
"Name one," Mal challenged.
Ben smirked as he closed the gap between them and looked into his girlfriend's eyes. Mal could feel her heart starting to beat faster and her pale cheeks start to heat up from the close proximity. She could feel the soft breeze created from Ben's exhales brush against her purple hair. Unbidden, memories of their shared dreams from their childhood raced to the front of her mind as she relaxed herself in her boyfriend's arms.
"Bertha," Ben suddenly said, destroying Mal's fantasy as if by magic.
Mal stepped back and shot the young king a mock-glare as she playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "You know, I'm starting to regret telling you that," she said.
Ben smirked as he inwardly started to dance in celebration, having successfully defeated his girlfriend in their game of wits.
Score: Mal - 17; Ben - 1
"…Florian."
Score: Mal - 17; Ben - 0
And the dance was cut short. However, Ben still had one ace left up his sleeve. "Hmph," he said in mock-annoyance. "You know, I was thinking of taking you to this place I know after class, but if you're going to continue making fun of me…"
"Yes?" Mal raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"…well, maybe Audrey is available," Ben said casually.
Mal knew what her boyfriend was doing, and was amused by his naivety. Still, she found it cute that he thought he could one-up her. "Oh, really?" She smirked, then sighed. "Well then, I guess that I'll have to find someone else to share these–" she pointed to her lips. "–with."
The tone of Mal's voice sounded so serious that, in that moment, Ben actually believed that she would go through with it. "Wait! I'm sorry, I–" he stopped when he realized that Mal had started laughing. "Damn it! You got me again!"
Score: Mal - 18; Ben - 0
"Don't feel bad, Benny-boo," Mal said as she patted him comfortingly on the back. "After all, I was at the top of my AP Sneakiness & Trickery class back at Dragon Hall."
"Why am I not surprised?" Ben shook his head in amusement. "Anyway, you up for that date?"
"You mean you were actually being serious?" Mal raised an eyebrow. Ben nodded. "But don't you have kingly duties that need attending to?"
"Actually, while I am now officially the king, my father will continue to handle the day-to-day running of the kingdom until I graduate," Ben explained. "So, you coming?"
"You really have to ask?" Mal smiled as she slammed her locker shut.
"No, but it's the nice thing to do," Ben remarked, then immediately started running to give himself a head start.
"Why, you-!" Mal laughed as she ran off in pursuit of her fleeing boyfriend.
~~~~Fairy Godmother's Office~~~~
"So, why do you think we were called to the Headmistress' office?" Asked one of the three students sitting in the waiting room. "I mean, we haven't done anything wrong, have we?"
"Not that I know of," another of the three students replied. She turned to the third. "Do you know why your mother called us here, Jane?"
Jane shook her head. "If it were just me, I would think that this was about my little…incident a few days ago," she said as she slightly bowed her head in shame. "But since all three of us are here, maybe it's something else."
"Come in, children," the Fairy Godmother said from behind her closed door. The three students rose from their seats and entered the room, each of them sitting down in one of the five chairs that had been set up in front of the Fairy Godmother's desk.
Fairy Godmother frowned upon noticing something. "Mal and King Ben wouldn't happen to still be out here, would they?" She asked.
The second student shook her head. "I heard Ben say earlier that he was planning on taking Mal on a date to the Enchanted Lake after school. Maybe they already left."
Fairy Godmother's eyes widened in worry. Without a word, she stood up and walked over to the map of Auradon that was mounted and framed on her wall, summoning her wand as she did so.
"Is something wrong, Mom?" Jane asked as she and her classmates looked at her in confusion.
"Map of Auradon on the wall, point to where trouble may fall!" Fairy Godmother said as she tapped her wand to the map. A sickly-green dot of light appeared on the map, close to the Enchanted Lake and gradually getting closer.
"Oh no!" Fairy Godmother shouted, startling the three students with her sudden loudness. "We need to get to those two soon before it's too late!"
"Why? What's wrong?" Jane asked again.
"King Ben and Mal are both in terrible danger!" Fairy Godmother replied.
~~~~Enchanted Lake~~~~
"We're in terrible danger!" Ben cried. "…of these delicious strawberries, that is."
Mal laughed. "That was real corny, you know that?" She said.
"Come on," Ben smirked as he held a chocolate-covered strawberry up to his girlfriend's mouth. "You know you like it."
"Just feed me the strawberry," she snapped, though the smile on her face told Ben that she was just joking.
"As you wish, m'lady," he replied jokingly as he slipped the strawberry into her mouth.
Mal bit into the small, chocolate-coated fruit. "Mmm…" she moaned, savoring the mouth-watering sweetness of the delectable treat. "Thish ish' sho dam' gud!"
Ben chuckled at Mal's lack of refinement that allowed her to speak with food in her mouth without so much as blinking an eye. After spending most of his life surrounded by princes and princesses who were always so posh and well-mannered, Mal's brutal honesty and blunt attitude was actually quite refreshing. It was one of the many things that Ben loved about her.
"So," Mal said after she gulped down the strawberry's remains and laid down on their picnic blanket. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but is there a reason why you've brought me to the same place two dates in a row? I mean, I've never dated anyone before, but I would think that even Auradonian girls would get bored of the same thing over and over."
"I just figured that it would be nice for us to have a few dates to ourselves, before we have to share them with the paparazzi," Ben replied.
Mal nodded, getting what her boyfriend meant. "I guess Maleficent crashing your coronation then being defeated by her own daughter would be major news," she sighed.
"Not to mention you and the others publicly choosing to be good," Ben added. "I mean, you guys are living proof that the children of villains aren't necessarily villains themselves!"
Mal snorted. "Yeah…I doubt most people see it that way," she replied.
Ben frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Your actions were broadcasted live on national TV. I'm sure that was proof enough for the citizens of Auradon."
"You're right, my actions were broadcasted lived on national TV," Mal conceded. "But that's part of the problem."
"Okay, you've lost me," Ben said.
"All of my actions, Ben," Mal elaborated as she sat up. "Or don't you remember the part where I almost went through with my mother's plan to deliver the Fairy Godmother's wand to her? I'm pretty sure that the rest of the nation does!"
"But you didn't," Ben pointed out.
"But it was close," Mal said, exasperated. "I mean really close. I was about to sell out all of Auradon and doom you and the entire kingdom to virtual annihilation just to receive my mother's approval!"
"Then what made you change your mind?" Ben asked.
"You," Mal replied as she looked directly into her boyfriend's eyes. "Up until that moment, I thought that I didn't have any choice in how I lived my life. I thought I was cursed to go through life in the shadow of my mother. I thought I was bound to the destiny that my mother had set out for me the day she gave me the name, 'Mal.'
"But then you said–and I quote–" Mal continued, raising her fingers and making air quotes. "'Your parents made their choice. Now you make yours.' I almost didn't believe you. I thought you were just saying that to get me to hand over the wand…but then I looked into your eyes, and I saw the sincerity and belief in them. I realized that you truly believed that anything was possible–even the children of the four worst villains ever becoming good. I couldn't bring myself to destroy that belief, no matter how much I wanted my mother's approval, so I did the only thing I could–I chose good."
The smile on Ben's face was so wide that it couldn't possibly get any wider. "And just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore," he said. "And I know how corny that sounded, but it's true."
Mal smiled. "You know I like it," she replied as she snuggled up against her boyfriend and closed her eyes, basking in his warmth. For that moment, all of their troubles seemed to vanish, leaving the king of Auradon and the daughter of Maleficent alone in their own little world.
"Aww…how sickeningly sweet," a deep, growling voice said mockingly.
The sudden voice startled them out of their daydream. Ben and Mal turned and found themselves face-to-face with a giant, green, scaly monster with the head of a crocodile.
"Who the hell are you?" Mal demanded as she and Ben leapt to their feet and took defensive stances.
"Oh, I'm hurt!" the monster said sarcastically, feigning a hurt expression (at least, that's what they thought–it had a crocodile's head, after all). "I thought for sure that you, of all people, would recognize me, Mal. Don't you remember all of the fun times we had when you were just a little hatchling? You should, seeing as how you were the only one with enough guts to climb on my back."
Mal's eyes widened in recognition. "It can't be…" she said softly as she shook her head slightly in disbelief. "Tick-Tock?"
"You mean as in Tick-Tock the Crocodile?" Ben asked, to which Mal nodded. He stared at his girlfriend in shock and disbelief. "You mean to tell me that you climbed on the back of the most feared reptile ever when you were little, and you survived?!"
"Now is not the time, Ben," Mal snapped impatiently, before turning her attention to her childhood (dare she say it?) playmate. "What happened to you, Tick-Tock?"
"I'm glad you asked, Mal," the transformed Tick-Tock said. "And it's all thanks to one of the spells in your mother's spell book. Queen Grimhilde used this spell to resurrect an ancient evil spirit and infuse its power into my body, thus giving me my new form that you see before you. I am no longer Tick-Tock; I am now Crocokiller!"
"Okay, two questions come to mind," Mal responded. "First, how did Grimhilde get a hold of my spell book when it's here in Auradon? Second, how was she able to even use magic, seeing as how she doesn't have any magical powers of her own and she's currently on the Isle of the Lost?"
"I see no need to answer your questions, seeing as how I'm about to kill both you and your boyfriend," Crocokiller sneered.
"Oh, yeah?" Ben challenged. "You and what army?"
Mal wanted to slap her boyfriend for his stupidity, but settled for verbally scolding him. "You idiot!" She exclaimed. "Don't you know that you should never ask that?!"
"She's right," Crocokiller said with a verbal smirk as it gestured for its reinforcements to come out of their hiding places. Mal was shocked to see ten of her mother's old minions surrounding them.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Ben whispered as he and Mal put their backs against one another to cover all of their blind spots. "But don't these guys work for your mother?"
"They do," Mal nodded in affirmation. "What confuses me is that they seem to be following Grimhilde's orders."
"So, any ideas on how to get rid of them?" Ben asked.
"Just fight them and try not to die," Mal advised.
"That doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence," Ben said, before a thought came to him. "Wait, can't you just tell them not to fight us? I mean, they work for Maleficent, so it would make sense that they would do as her daughter says, right?"
"It's more complicated than that," Mal replied. "Yes, my mother left them with standing orders to obey my every command to the letter unless they contradict her own, but they only listened to her because they were afraid of her. Now that she's a tiny-sized lizard, I'm not sure how much they still fear her. What's more, they seem to now be taking orders from Grimhilde, so they may recognize her as their new boss."
"Okay, so just telling them not to attack us is out of the question," Ben sighed. "What are their weaknesses then?"
Before Mal could reply, Crocokiller roared, "Enough stalling! Minions, attack!" With mighty battle cries, the minions charged the two teenagers, who immediately put up a defensive.
As a member of the Royal Family of Auradon and the heir to the throne, King Beast and Queen Belle had arranged for Ben to be personally trained by the best martial arts experts in the kingdom so that he could protect himself. Fa Mulan and Li Shang had run the young prince into the ground with their training methods. Ben often left their training sessions barely able to make it all of the way out of the dojo, much less all of the way to his room. He got bruises and broken ribs so often that the Fairy Godmother would frequently use the task of healing him as a regular workout to keep her magical abilities in top shape. His pride was equally beaten up whenever Mulan and Shang had him and Lonnie spar. His instructors were so merciless that there were times that Ben pondered banishing them to the Isle of the Lost, they were so cruel. At the end of his formal training, Ben only had one thing to say to his teachers/torturers.
Thank you. While merciless, Mulan and Shang had succeeded in making the future ruler of Auradon into a fierce fighting machine who could more than take care of himself.
In Mal's case, learning how to defend herself was a necessity for those living on the Isle of the Lost. It was a dog-eat-dog on the island prison of the worst villains of all time. You had to learn how to fight at an early age, or else you were as good as expired bologna in the other kids' lunches. There was a reason why most people on the Isle feared her, and it wasn't just because her mother was their leader. Mal was just as capable as fighting as Ben was.
Both Ben and Mal were seasoned and skilled fighters in their own right. However, there are some things that just cannot be overcome. Not only were they outnumbered five to one, but their opponents were all wearing thick armor and wielding some pretty big weapons–swords, axes, and maces, to name a few. Even if the goblins weren't armed to the teeth, however, they were all still big, strong, and thick-skinned, thus making it difficult to land a damaging blow.
Making the best out of their situation, the two teenagers each took five of their adversaries. As the first minion came at him, Ben dodged the giant axe blade and threw his weight against the off-balanced opponent. The goblin fell into another of his comrades, sending them both to the ground. He then ducked under another axe and caught a third minion with a drop kick, using the massive behemoth's weight to make him fall over himself.
Meanwhile, Mal was facing her own opponents. She used her small size to her advantage, slipping under the first minion's arm and leaping over the head of the one behind the first. She then kicked the second goblin in the back of the head with a surprising amount of strength for someone as small as her, sending the minion tumbling into the first.
Continuing into the third goblin, Mal dove beneath the behemoth and delivered an uppercut with her fist, knocking her opponent's helmet clean off its face. Taking advantage of his confused state, Mal leaped over the minion's head and swung her foot against the side, sending the goblin tumbling. While this was happening, however, the fourth minion swung his mace at Mal, who couldn't easily avoid it due to being airborne. This sent her falling to the ground as she cried out in pain.
"Mal!" Ben exclaimed, briefly losing focus due to his concern for his girlfriend. The minions he was facing took advantage of this and punched the young king in the stomach, sending him falling to the ground by Mal's side.
"Ugh…" Ben groaned as he clutched his aching abdomen. "Are you alright, Mal?"
"A bit sore, but otherwise I'm fine," she muttered as she held her bruised side.
"Ha-ha-ha!" Crocokiller cackled in laughter at the two fallen teens. "And here I thought you two would be more of a challenge. I guess Bale and Maylana's bloodlines have dwindled out over the past 1,000 years."
"What are you talking about?" Mal asked.
"None of your business!" The mutant reptile snapped. "Minions, destroy them!"
"Got any other ideas?" Ben muttered under his breath as the ten minions (the fallen ones had already recovered) stalked towards them.
"Only one," Mal replied as she took a deep breath and stood up.
"Mal?" Ben said, wondering what she was doing.
"Just don't freak out if I sound a bit like my mother," she whispered.
Before Ben could ask for further explanation, Mal continued speaking, this time raising her voice so that all of the minions present could hear her loud and clear. "You fools!" She roared. An image of Maleficent flashed in Ben's mind, as the tone of Mal's voice reminded him of her mother's. "How dare you raise arms against your rightful mistress! I should have your hides for even thinking of laying a hand on me–if you were even capable of thinking, that is!"
The minions halted and took a small step back in fear. "B-but, Lady Mal–" one of the minions stuttered.
"Silence, you insignificant worm!" The daughter of Maleficent snapped as she glared at the ignoramus who dared to speak, her eyes glowing an evil shade of green. "Or else I shall rip your empty skull out of your still-breathing body. Then, I'll hang it in my mother's throne room to serve as a reminder to all of what happens to those who dare to defy my will!"
"Y-y-yes, m-m-m'lady," the minion nodded as he shrunk back in fear.
Ben watched in both awe and fear as his girlfriend made her mother's minions quake in fear. From history class, he knew the factual information of the many atrocities that Maleficent had committed during her reign of terror. But now, as her daughter channeled the fury and rage that the Mistress of All Evil was known for, the young king of Auradon came to one frightening conclusion: the textbooks' descriptions did not do Maleficent justice.
"Now kneel at your mistress' feet and grovel like the dogs you are!" Mal bellowed as she pointed sharply to the ground beneath her. "And maybe I'll take pity on your cowardice souls and spare you for your insolence!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The minions shouted as they fell to their hands and knees and pathetically pleaded for mercy.
"You idiots!" Crocokiller yelled. "Can't you see that she's just pretending to be like her mother?"
The minions froze and faced the mutant crocodile in confusion. "Oh, yes," Crocokiller nodded. "Remember, our dear sweet little Mal has already announced to the entire world that she has turned good. She won't really go through with her threats; she's just using your fear of her mother to distract you!"
"B-But Maleficent–" one of the minions spoke up.
"–is now a pint-sized lizard trapped in the Beast's spell jar," Crocokiller pointed out. "You no longer have any reason to fear her, and certainly not her weak daughter. Now destroy her and her kingly boyfriend, or I'll destroy you!"
"You know what?" One of the minions said. "He's right." The other minions began to nod in agreement.
Damn it! Mal mentally cursed as she found herself losing control of the situation. Of all the times for these blockheads to start using their brains, why did it have to be now?
"Let's get them!" The minions shouted as they charged at the two teens.
Crap! Mal thought frantically as she tried to think of a way out of this situation, but try as she might, she couldn't think of anything. I mean, it's not like I can just magically teleport Ben and…I…to–man, you are such an idiot, Mal! You've got magic; use it!
Drawing on her magical energy, Mal recited a spell that she had recently discovered in the magical section of Auradon Prep's grand library: "The face of doom, we now face; get us to safety, away from this place!"
As Mal released her magic, she and Ben were engulfed in purple light, before they vanished into thin air. Surprised, the minions tripped and fell on top of one another, making a pile in the middle of the stone platform.
Crocokiller slapped his forehead in frustration. "You idiots are useless…" he muttered as he turned to the Enchanted Lake. "Well, might as well continue with the plan."
Crocokiller raised his large muzzle upward and gurgled, building up a fair amount of acid spit. Once he had accumulated enough, the mutant crocodile pointed his snout at the water and fired acid snot from his nostrils. The acid reacted with the mystical water, turning it from crystal-clear to murky-green.
Crocokiller smirked. All according to plan… he thought as he chuckled evilly.
~~~~Auradon Prep Infirmary~~~~
Mal groaned as light slowly returned to her vision. Ignoring the dizziness, she sat up and looked around. She found herself laying on top of one of the sterile, white beds in the school infirmary.
Ugh…what happened? She groaned, taking note of the headache she had.
"Great. You're awake," a familiar female voice said. Mal turned to the right and found the Fairy Godmother and Ben sitting in the chairs next to her. Ben's topless torso made Mal blush as she eyed his well-toned abs, then she noticed the bandages that had been wrapped around it. It was then that she remembered what had happened.
"So, did the spell I used work?" Mal asked.
The elder fairy nodded. "Though I must say that you're lucky, dear," she said. "It's taxing enough just to teleport yourself. To have teleported both you and Ben at the same time…you should consider yourself fortunate that all you got was a mild case of magical exhaustion."
"I don't get it," Ben spoke up, confused. "Didn't Maleficent teleport herself from the Isle of the Lost to the coronation? She didn't look that tired to me."
"What Maleficent did wasn't actually teleportation," Fairy Godmother explained. "What she did was more like flying or levitation. Much less energy-consuming than tearing a hole in the fabric of space-time and then repairing it before it can unravel the universe's very existence."
"Oh, is that all?" Ben asked dryly.
"I'm sorry I used that spell, Fairy Godmother," Mal apologized. "But it was the only spell I could think of that would have saved both me and Ben."
"And I don't blame you, child," Fairy Godmother assured her. "From what I've learned from Ben's recount, that you were able to recall any spell at that time was impressive."
"So, if Ben has already told you about what happened, then you know about that monster and my mother's old minions escaping from the Isle," Mal inferred. Fairy Godmother nodded. "What are we going to do about them?"
Fairy Godmother smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that those evil forces that you and Ben fought today are just the tip of the iceberg," she said. "The both of you are already all healed up, so why don't we continue this conversation in my office?"
Mal and Ben nodded as they stood up and followed the Headmistress out of the infirmary, not knowing that their lives were about to be forever changed (even more so than they already have)…
~~~~Fairy Godmother's Office~~~~
"Here we are, children," the Fairy Godmother said as she opened the door and allowed the two students to enter her office. Three other students were already there.
Mal recognized two of them. "Jane? Lonnie?" She said. "What are you two doing here?"
"Same reason as you I guess," Lonnie shrugged. "As to what that reason is exactly, we're still waiting for Fairy Godmother to explain."
"And who is the other guy?" Mal asked, pointing to the student she didn't know. The boy had neck-length, white hair that looked like a small waterfall; and deep-blue eyes that reminded Mal of the sea. He wore a loose, blue, long-sleeve shirt and a pair of leather pants. He was glaring at Mal, a look that unfortunately, many people still gave her.
"Prince Triton II," the now-known prince curtly introduced himself.
"Ariel and Eric's son," Ben provided, seeing the confused look on Mal's face. Turning to Triton, he added, "Triton, I'd like you to meet–"
"Maleficent, Jr.," Triton finished. Everyone was shocked by the prince's boldness. Of course, they all knew that 'Mal' was short for 'Maleficent,' but they didn't bring light to it since she hated to be reminded of it. "My grandfather was furious when you and your little posse were allowed off the Isle, thereby breaking his perfect record."
Mal was well aware of what he was talking about. Triton II's grandfather, King Triton I, was the king of the underwater city of Atlantica, which was located near the Isle of the Lost's waters. As such, the aquatic king was in charge of keeping any villains who somehow managed to escape from the Isle from reaching the mainland.
"Ehem!" Fairy Godmother cleared her throat as she sat down at her desk, cutting off the confrontation that she sensed was coming. "Now that we're all here, we can begin."
"Begin what exactly, Mom?" Jane asked.
"Our story," she replied. "A very special fairytale that has been kept secret and closely guarded by the Council of Good Fairies for centuries."
"If this story is such a big secret," Mal said, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. "Then why are you telling us?"
"Because recent events have forced my hand," Fairy Godmother sighed. "Now, if you are all ready?"
The five students nodded. "Very well then," the Headmistress said as she began the tale:
"Once upon a time–about 1,000 years ago, to be more precise–the forces of good and evil were locked in a war of colossal proportions. The battles that were fought made the modern-day confrontations between heroes and villains seem like children's play by comparison. Swords clashed, enemies were slain–but at the end of the day, it always ended in a draw, with neither side gaining an advantage.
One day, however, everything changed. A new villain, whose dark magic was unlike anything that anyone had ever seen, came into the picture and, through fear and subjugation, united the forces of evil under one banner–hers. Her name…was Malevolence."
Mal gasped, interrupting the story. "D-did you just say 'Malevolence?'" She asked.
The Fairy Godmother nodded. "What of it?" She asked in response.
"So, that dream was real…" Mal muttered.
"What dream?" Fairy Godmother inquired, concerned. Mal described the dream that she had had the night before. "The dream that you just described was the final battle of the war. Malevolence's armies had all but decimated the forces of good and were about to destroy all that is good and beautiful on the planet. In the end, it was the five brave warriors that you saw that saved the world from eternal darkness."
"But why did Mal have this dream?" Lonnie asked.
"My guess is because she is a direct descendant of the purple-clad warrior, whose magic was the most powerful of the five," Fairy Godmother explained, shocking everyone. "In fact, all five of you are direct descendants of those brave and noble warriors–the Ancestral Knights. This is why you five are here today."
"But Malevolence's forces were destroyed, right?" Jane asked nervously.
Fairy Godmother shook her head. "I'm afraid that not even your ancestors were powerful enough to completely defeat Malevolence," she replied. "So instead, they used their combined power to trap her and her armies in an alternate and uninhabited dimension. While the peoples that the Ancestral Knights had fought to protect believed that Malevolence was gone for good, the Purple Knight knew her better than that. She knew that one day, Malevolence would find a way to escape her imprisonment and raise her army to declare war on the forces of light once again."
"And just how did the Purple Warrior know this?" Triton asked, suspicious of any ancestor of Maleficent's daughter.
"Just as Mal is the daughter of Maleficent," Fairy Godmother sighed. "So too was the Purple Warrior, Maylana, the daughter of Malevolence."
They gasped in shock. "However, as Mal and her friends have proven, children are not bound by the actions of their parents," she added. "Anyway, continuing on: Maylana knew that someday, her mother would find a way to return, so she convinced her fellow knights to take their awesome powers and infuse them into five bracelets, so that their future posterity would be able to defend all that they fought so hard to protect when the time came.
"And that time is now," the elder fairy continued as she rose from her chair and opened up the cabinet behind her. She took out each of the five artifacts inside it and laid them on her desk. They were silver cuff-like bracelets, each embedded with a gem of a different color–red, purple, blue, yellow, and pink.
"Are those–?" Mal's eyes widened, as did the other four descendants'.
The Fairy Godmother nodded with a serious look on her face. "These five bracelets are the same ones that your ancestors infused with their powers. These are the five Mythicores," she replied. "Last night, they began to react to the stirring of a powerful source of dark magic, far beyond even Maleficent's ability. In response, they have chosen you five–the direct descendants of their creators–to wield these ancient powers to defend all that is good and light."
"Does that mean that we're the new Ancestral Knights or something?" Triton asked.
The Fairy Godmother smiled. "Not quite," she replied. "You see, over the past 1,000 years, the Mythicores have absorbed the magical energy of the very Earth itself. As a result, their powers have adapted and evolved, becoming far more powerful than they originally were. When you don these five bracelets, you will not become the five Ancestral Knights."
"Then what will we become?" Ben asked.
"You five will become…the Power Rangers: Mythic Descendants!"
"Power Rangers?" Mal asked, confused. "What's a 'Power Ranger?'"
Her fellow students looked at the former villainess like she had grown an extra head. "What?" She asked.
"Have you seriously never heard of the Power Rangers?" Lonnie asked, surprised.
"Umm…hello? I grew up on an island that's cut off from the rest of the world except for one channel that plays the same dumb propaganda over and over," Mal replied. "What do you think?"
"Sorry," Lonnie apologized.
"It's okay," Mal replied. "So, back to my original question: what the heck is a Power Ranger?"
"The Power Rangers are a team of crime-fighting superheroes with amazing powers who protect the world from the forces of evil," Ben explained. "There have actually been many different teams in the past, though the basic idea is always the same. Each Ranger has a different color that distinguishes them from the others. Each of them also has access to advanced weaponry and abilities, including a giant, fight-capable machine called a 'Zord,' which combine to form an even bigger fighting robot called a 'Megazord.'"
"You seem well informed," Mal commented with a smirk.
"I'll admit it, I was a big fan of the Power Rangers when I was little," Ben admitted.
"Now that you have all been caught up," the Fairy Godmother spoke up. "You five have a decision to make. Will you accept the Mythicores and become the newest generation of the Power Rangers? If you choose not to, no one will hold it against you. The battles you will be fighting will be just as intense as the ones that your ancestors fought 1,000 years ago, if not even more so. You may very well die in the line of duty. Knowing this, will you accept the mantle?"
"I'm in," Ben agreed immediately as he rose from his seat. "As king of Auradon, it is my duty to protect my subjects in any way that I can."
"I'll do it, too," Jane added as she stood beside Ben, surprising everyone with her boldness. "Hey, I'm the daughter of the Fairy Godmother, after all. I will make you proud, Mom."
"You already have," Fairy Godmother smiled. "Okay, that's two."
"Make that three," Lonnie said as she rose to her feet. "Though I may not look it, my parents taught me everything they know about martial arts. Now, I'll use my skills to defeat the forces of evil just as they did."
"Under that logic, I suppose I can't refuse either," Triton shrugged as he joined the other three Auradonians. "It's obvious that Queen Grimhilde is using denizens of the Isle of the Lost to create these monsters, so it only makes sense that the grandson of King Triton take part in defeating those that make it to Auradon."
"That's four Rangers," Fairy Godmother said. "Which leaves…"
Everyone turned towards Mal, the only one of them who had not yet responded. First, she looked at Triton, who was still glaring at her, seeing only the shadow of her mother. Not unexpected, as he had already made it very clear that he didn't like her.
Next, she looked towards Jane and Lonnie, who hid their feelings of uncertainty behind their smiles, probably because they weren't certain of what she would choose. A little hurtful, but again, Mal would have been surprised if they didn't have any reservations. After all, the daughter of Maleficent had only chosen good a few days ago.
Then, she faced the Fairy Godmother, who had that confident and caring smile on her face, just as she always did. This lifted Mal's spirit slightly, but she knew that it was the Headmistress' job to have faith in all of her students.
Finally, she turned towards Ben, whose eyes still shined with the same belief that they always had–the belief that anything is possible, even the children of the Evilest Four choosing goodness.
Mal sighed. "Well, I've already made it this far," she said as she stood up, referring to her choosing goodness. "I may not know all the ins and outs of being good, but I'll do my best to protect all that is good and beautiful in the world. I'm in."
"And we'll be here to help you learn," Ben said as he smiled. "All of us."
"That's right," Jane nodded. "We're here for you, Mal."
"I know you don't like me and you don't think that I'm really good, Triton," Mal said as she turned to the son of Ariel. "But I'm going to do everything I can to prove it–to you, and to all of Auradon."
Triton shook his head and chuckled in amusement. "This, I've got to see," he smirked.
"You know what this calls for?" Lonnie asked with a mischievous smirk (a mediocre one in Mal's opinion, but not bad for an Auradonian). "Group hug!"
Mal's eyes widened as she slowly backed away from her four grinning teammates. "Wait, hold on–" her protests went unanswered as she found herself surrounded by four hug-crazy Auradonian kids. "Okay…I get it…You can let go now…CAN'T–BREATHE!"
"Sorry," Ben, Triton, Jane, and Lonnie said sheepishly as they backed off and gave Mal some room.
"Ehem!" Fairy Godmother cleared her throat, regaining the five Rangers' attention. "While I may be a proponent of sharing love and joy, I do believe that we need to continue. After all, there is still a giant crocodile monster on the loose."
"Then let's get to it," Mal said.
"Very well," Fairy Godmother said as she picked up the Mythicore with the purple gem. "Mal Faerie, this Mythicore was created by your ancestor, Maylana. As such, it has chosen you to carry on the mantle of the Purple Ancestral Knight, and become the Purple Mythic Ranger."
The elder fairy handed the bracelet to Mal, then picked up the one with the yellow gem. "Li Lonnie," she said as she handed the Mythicore to the daughter of Mulan. "Your ancestor, Lo Luana, created the Yellow Mythicore so that her descendant could carry on her family's legacy of honor and virtue. You shall be the Yellow Mythic Ranger."
"My dear daughter, Jane," Fairy Godmother continued as she picked up the Mythicore with the pink gem, all the whole smiling at her daughter with pride. "Our ancestor, Julea, created the Pink Mythicore and infused it with all of the light magic that she had. As your mother, I'm proud to name you the Pink Mythic Ranger."
After giving the bracelet to her daughter, the Fairy Godmother turned towards Triton. "Prince Triton II," she said as she handed him the Blue Mythicore. "Your ancestor, Lord Neptuno, was the guardian of the sea and all of its inhabitants. I know you will make him proud as the Blue Mythic Ranger."
"And finally," she said as she turned to King Ben, while picking up the fifth and final Mythicore. "King Ben, you are the descendant of High King Bale, the ruler of Ancient Auradon and the leader of the Ancestral Knights. His bravery, nobility, and leadership has been reborn in you. Just as he led the Ancestral Knights in their fight against Malevolence, you too shall lead your team as the Red Mythic Ranger."
"From this day forth, the five of you–Ben, Mal, Triton, Jane, and Lonnie–shall be known as the Power Rangers: Mythic Descendants!" Fairy Godmother proclaimed flamboyantly. "Don your Mythicores, Rangers, and feel the power of your ancestors course through you!"
The five Rangers did so, and felt an incredible energy flow through them as soon as they placed the Mythicores around their wrists. The power filled them, binding itself to them as it recognized the blood of its creators coursing through their veins.
"So?" Fairy Godmother asked. "How do you feel?"
All five Rangers only had one response. "Awesome," they smiled in tandem.
Suddenly, the room around them began to shook violently, throwing its occupants to the floor. "It's an earthquake!" Jane screamed as she huddled next to Lonnie in terror.
"This is no earthquake!" Fairy Godmother shouted over the rumbling. "I can sense several dark magical presences surrounding the school and attacking its foundations."
"Sounds like our old pal Crocokiller is back," Ben stated. "Let's go show that overgrown reptile what happens when you mess with Power Rangers!"
"Right," the other four Rangers nodded as they followed their leader out the door and into battle.
"Good luck!" Fairy Godmother shouted after them as she braced herself against her desk.
"Faster, you idiots!" Crocokiller roared as the minions quickened the speed at which they attacked the school's walls. "I want this damn castle destroyed yesterday!"
"If you don't mind me asking, sir, why exactly are we doing this?" One of the more intelligent goblins inquired. "I thought that Queen Grimhilde ordered us to create as much chaos and panic in Auradon as possible."
"Inside this building are five items that could ruin our mistress' plans!" Crocokiller replied, snapping at the minion who had spoken. "These items must be destroyed at soon as possible!"
"Are you talking about these?" Ben asked as he and his teammates walked forward, each of them bearing their Mythicore on their right wrist.
Crocokiller's eyes widened. "The Mythicores!" The mutant crocodile gasped in worry and shock, before regaining his verbal scowl. "Minions, destroy those five at once!"
The five teenagers just stood there confidently as the minions stopped what they were doing and charged towards them. "You guys ready?" Ben asked, turning his head to the left and then the right, addressing each of his comrades.
Mal, Triton, Jane, and Lonnie all nodded. "Ready!" They affirmed.
"Then let's do this!" The king of Auradon shouted as the five of them raised their Mythicores into the air over their heads. Instinctively knowing what to do, they pressed their left hands against their glowing gems and called on the power within them.
As one, the five heroes shouted a single phrase:
"Mythos Descendium!"