Well, this is it. I have been working on this story for years, and it feels both immensely gratifying and a little weird to have finally finished it.

A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.

A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback and thrive on words of affirmation.

Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.

Enjoy!

Chapter 31: Future

The night air was cool and welcoming. The bright moon illuminated the scene beautifully. Mal was glad that she could share this moment of calm and tranquility with the people she held most dear.

It was late. Very late.

Off in the distance, the wedding feast was still in full swing, despite the fact that both the bride and groom were no longer present and that sunrise was only a couple of hours away. The deejay was now playing one loud and upbeat song after another, spurred on by the continuous cheers of an enthusiastic and increasingly intoxicated crowd. Fireworks were occasionally being lit, exploding over their heads in colorful bursts, bathing the ground in bright, flickering light for short moments each time.

Ben and Mal had both taken their leave of the main party a little while ago after having danced and accepted more felicitations from guests for hours on end. Now, they sat around a small campfire somewhere near the edge of the Auradon Prep property. Mal could still see the richly decorated main building through the trees, light shining through every window.

After hours of chaos and partying, everyone was gladly taking advantage of this opportunity to simply lie back a little.

Her fatigue did not make Mal feel any less grateful for how today's events had played out. In all honesty, everything, from the preparations, the wedding ceremony, the procession and the feast, had been a splendid affair. She kept replaying the moment she had kissed Ben on the altar over and over in her head, which made her feel warm inside. The smiles of the people as she and Ben had passed by, predominantly those of the little girls, had warmed her heart. Mal had never been one for outlandish celebration, but had to admit that, after today, she was warming up to it. Still, a few moments of peace and quiet never hurt anybody.

Mal lay in Ben's arms, her head on his chest. He held her hands in his own, softly caressing them and occasionally planting an affectionate kiss on the top of her head.

Right next to them, Evie and Doug were also cuddled up next to each other. Evie had her head on his shoulder as he softly strung away at the guitar he had brought along, the soft melody only serving to make the scene seem more peaceful.

Mal continuously looked around at the faces of all her friends, only thinking about how much she loved them all.

Jay was asleep, snoring occasionally with his head on Lonnie's lap. Carlos and Jane had huddled together under a blanket, leaning against one another, their hands intertwined. CJ was sitting on a log with Archer right in front of her, resting her chin on top of his head. Freddie, Jordan, Aden, Royce and Chad sat in a huddle, passing bottles of liquor around. Audrey and Alex sat close to the fire, humming along to the song Doug was playing at the moment. Lancelot stood a little further back, leaning against a tree and lurking from a long pipe sticking out of his mouth.

No one was really talking, safe for the occasional bursts of laughter from the people sharing alcohol.

It was almost surreal to Mal. She was married to Ben, after so many ups and downs throughout their relationship. Her friends were all around her, after they too had experienced falling outs and difficulties in their time together. After a gruesome war, during which Mal had at times doubted everyone would make it out alive, things were finally at peace.

Mal's gaze rested on Carlos for a second. Sweet Carlos, who had always been the most optimistic, helpful and selfless of the group, who had come out of the war with only one leg but who had not let that dampen his spirits in the slightest. She loved him.

She saw Chad try to pass a bottle to Audrey, who politely declined. Mal could still distinctly recall the way both of them had acted towards the VK's when they had first come to Auradon. She remembered her feud with Audrey, all the back-handed compliments and efforts to discredit one another. Now though, they had both matured and largely set aside their petty rivalry. Audrey had acted with grace and poise for a long time now, particularly regarding villain kids, showing tremendous growth as a person. Mal then reminisced about all the times Chad had behaved like a pompous ass, parading around like he ruled the kingdom, believing he was better than everyone else. She considered that this was still the case somewhat, but that Chad had also proved himself brave and caring when push came to shove and the kingdom was in actual danger. These people, whom Mal had once openly showed her dislike towards, had become close friends.

She then noticed CJ snuggling a little closer against Archer, who reciprocated the gesture by squeezing her hand. Mal always felt extra grateful whenever she saw Archer, Auradon's greatest fighter and one of the bravest and most loyal people she had ever met. Archer had given his all, had fallen and had returned to them, much to her and everyone's glee. His struggle was proof that, no matter how dire the tidings, you should never stop fighting. Then there was CJ. Not a year ago, Mal would have counted CJ among her greatest and most loathed enemies. Now, she saw her as a close ally and trusted friend. Mal truly wondered if things between them could ever completely go back to the way they were before that faithful botched robbery on the Isle… She could only hope they would…

CJ noticed her gaze. "Whatcha staring at, Malsie?" She smirked, chin still perched atop Archer's head.

"Just thinking…" Mal shrugged.

"Spit it out then." Carlos suggested. "Any words of wisdom to make this momentous occasion even more memorable?"

Mal sighed and snickered. "You think too much of me…"

"You are queen of Auradon now." Evie nudged her, eyes sparkling. "You should be able to give speeches in your sleep."

"I would also like to hear what you have to say." Ben added, squeezing her lovingly.

Mal rolled her eyes. "A speech? Is that what you want?"

Everyone around the campfire gave a collective cheer. Jay awoke with a start, flailing his arms about a little as he slid off Lonnie's lap and landed in a crumpled heap on the ground, much to everyone's amusement.

"W-Wha… H-Has the tankard been refilled?" He slurred as he unsteadily climbed back to his feet.

"Mal is about to give a speech, you oaf." Lonnie snapped as she pulled him back down on the log next to her.

"Jay! Catch!" Jordan called out as she tossed an unopened bottle into the air, which Jay caught with an eager smile.

"Okay… Is everyone ready and seated?" Mal sighed as she stood up.

A second collective cheer. Jay gave a thumbs up as he downed half the contents of the bottle in one go.

Mal looked around the circle again, laughing to herself at all the hopeful and happy expressions with which everyone looked up at her. In her youth, back on the Isle, no one had dared to look her in the eyes out of fear. During her first months in Auradon, people had sneered or looked down on her. It was truly odd what a spectacular difference a few years could make.

"Hello, everyone… First… I am just so happy that you are all here…" She took a deep breath. Her head was both swirling with thoughts and empty due to the fatigue and all the alcohol she had consumed in the previous hours. "Truly… It means the world to me to share this with you all… We've been through so much together… A lot of bad, yes… But mostly good… So much good… I guess I'm just really thankful to have so many amazing friends… People to fall back on… If you had told me a few years back that I would end up with just one friend, let alone this many, I would have laughed in your face… It just feels so good… It really warms my shriveled little villain heart…"

Everyone laughed. Freddie and Aden both raised their respective bottles and cheered loudly. Evie was already sobbing again, pressing her hand to her mouth.

"I don't know what the future will hold…" Mal went on, playfully raising her eyebrows. "I sure hope it'll bring more good… I know, however, that with you all in it, I will have no reason to complain… I hope we can meet up many more times in the future… So we can keep bothering each other with all the boring details of all our lives… And so we can share more bottles, of course… I know this night is not the end of our story, but it does feel like the end of an era, so to speak… I just want to let you all know that, in this moment, I am truly happy… And I have you all to thank for it… Thank you for being who you are… And, you know, let's do this again sometime…"

Everyone was silent for a moment after Mal stopped speaking, probably a little surprised by the abrupt end of her heartfelt speech. Evie was the first to let out a loud sob before rushing at Mal and embracing her for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"Group hug!" Jay shouted, looking a little unsteady as he sprang to his feet.

The others laughed as they immediately obliged. Mal found herself in the middle of the crowd within moments as everyone huddled together, arms around each other. Even CJ and Lancelot joined in. Mal could not make out what anyone was saying, with everyone talking and shouting over each other. Evie was still bawling her eyes out, their faces right next to each other, and it was difficult to hear anything other than her sobs.

The group dispersed after a few minutes, with everyone taking their previous seats once more.

"One hell of a speech, kudos." Aden called out, raising his bottle once more.

"So, you're not just good at painting and drawing. I always knew." Jane smiled.

"You guys flatter me." Mal dismissively waved her hand.

"Just you wait. Like 90 percent of my job is coming up with speeches whenever libraries have grand openings or a new ship is pronounced seaworthy…" Ben smirked. "And the press really have a field day whenever they catch me repeating myself…"

"Don't ruin the moment." Mal playfully slapped him on the arm.

"The end of an era…" Evie then suddenly spoke up, having finally regained her cool a little. "It's true, isn't it? I mean… This is the last time all of us will be together here at Auradon Prep…"

Everyone looked at her, seemingly contemplating that same fact.

"I'm really gonna miss you all…" Evie went on, tears already welling up again.

"Evie…" Mal called out. "This is not the end at all… We still got graduation soon, and we're all gonna be there for your wedding in only a few months…"

"And it's not like we're all going away." Freddie joined in. "I've got another year left at Auradon Prep…"

"Same here." Royce put up his hand.

"And us." Jane added, gesturing at herself and Carlos.

"And me!" CJ called out as well.

"Yeah, so really you all should apologize for leaving us." Freddie pointed her finger accusingly at all the seniors, causing the others to laugh.

"It will be really weird to see you all start doing all these adult things now…" Carlos added, shivering mockingly.

"I've been king for years now…" Ben complained. "That seems like the most adult thing one could be…"

"True, but now you have a wife and you'll be away from school all the time instead of just most of the time." Carlos retorted.

Mal giggled as she snuggled even closer to Ben.

"You all have to come visit Auradon Prep at least once next year." Jane suggested. "I'm sure we can work something out. Where's everyone going? What are your schedules like?"

"Mal and I will be all over, doing royal things… If you want, you can contact Deborah for a closer look into my itinerary." Ben jokingly suggested.

Mal playfully slapped him on the arm. "We'll make sure we come back. I don't want to stay too far away from here or Beast Castle for too long anyway…"

"That's good." Evie spoke up. "Also… I feel like this is as good a time as any to share some news with you all…" She added, wiggling in place and twiddling her thumbs.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Freddie asked in an almost hilariously blunt tone. It was clear that she was far from sober.

"What!? No!" Evie practically shrieked, blushing bright scarlet.

"Good. I don't have it in me to become a cool aunt yet…" Freddie moped, much to everyone's enjoyment.

"Well… No… That's not the news…" Evie rolled her eyes. "The news is that… I have officially founded my own fashion label… It's called Evie's 4 Hearts…" She squealed, having obviously been eagerly waiting to share this news.

"What!?" Everyone called out, jaws hitting the floor.

"You never thought to mention that!?" Carlos snapped.

"Look at you… Real business woman…" Jay gave another thumbs up.

More congratulations followed.

"What's the name stand for?" Audrey inquired.

"Well…" Evie began, blushing a little. "I got inspired by the spell Mal used when we overcame Maleficent… You know…"

"The strength of evil is good as none, when stands before four hearts as one…" Mal recalled, smiling at the memory.

"That was the defining moment of my life… Our lives… We chose good, and I wanted to emphasize that…" Evie went on, still sounding bashful.

"So, you had all this in the works, and never thought about telling us?" Jordan sounded more surprised than genuinely annoyed.

"I didn't want to spring the news on everyone right before the wedding…" Evie pouted. "But I'm so happy. I can't wait to get started."

"But… Hey! I thought you said you wanted to attend classes at Auradon U?" Chad called out from the other side of the campfire.

"I do. I will do both. I'm gonna pursue a degree in fashion, of course, and run my label on the side." Evie confidently stated.

"I'm already looking forward to all the stress-filled calls I'm gonna receive next year…" Mal teased her best friend, who stuck out her tongue in return.

"Do you already have an office and, you know, supplies and such?" Jordan inquired.

"Well… There's actually a second bit of news…" Evie seemed to get more excited by the second. "Doug has already helped me look for a little starter castle, and we found one just outside Auradon City… We're gonna move in together right after the schoolyear ends…"

"What!?" Everyone repeated, Mal included.

Another round of congratulations, complete with everyone holding a bottle raising it to toast the happy couple. Evie appeared to be over the moon, especially after Doug leaned in to plant a passionate kiss on her lips – something he would ordinarily not do that much in public.

"So… That's Doug and Evie all sorted out… What about you, Lonnie? And Jay?" Jane asked.

"Oh, nothing that concrete…" Lonnie shrugged. "We've both been thinking about taking a gap year. We journeyed a lot during our last vacation together, so now we basically want to resume our travels where we left off… There's still outskirts of Auradon we haven't visited yet… We're gonna keep looking around, go on adventures, connect with other cultures and maybe make life better for some people while we're at it…"

"And there's no one who could do a better job at it." Archer commended the two, clapping his hands.

"But that means you won't be at Auradon U…" Chad muttered, seeming genuinely distressed. "What? Am I one of the only ones going? W-With Doug and Evie?"

"I'll be going to Auradon U too. You know that!" Audrey snapped. "I want to get a business degree."

"And I'll be trying out for a humanitarian degree." Jordan jumped in. "It's a favorite among genies…"

"That's great and all… But who's gonna join me in the varsity Tourney and Swords and Shields teams?" Chad complained.

"Count me in for Tourney!" Aden put up his hand. "And Alex as well, right, old boy?"

"Most definitely." Alex smiled. "I'll try to make time while I'm getting a degree in poetry."

"Most befitting." Royce tapped his troop mate on the arm.

"All well and good. But that leaves S.A.S… Archer… Surely you'll be joining the team…" Chad went on.

Archer smiled, but also shook his head. "I'm afraid I'll be called home right after the schoolyear ends… My parents aren't intent on retiring just yet, but I think it's wise to not delay preparing to rule for that long… After all, I spent most of my teenage years in military service… There wasn't much talk regarding laws and commerce and the like… Lance will be joining me. Merlin intends on instructing him further to become the court's resident magical advisor."

Lancelot only nodded, having resumed lurking on his pipe.

"And, what, Auradon U isn't good enough for you?" Chad asked of Archer in a challengingly bratty tone.

"I respect Auradon U, of course I do, but I feel like I need to be closer to my people… I need to become wiser…" Archer argued.

"Yeah, no shit." Chad spat. "But that means I'll be all alone on the S.A.S. team next year… Woe is me…"

"At least you're not being a baby about it." Mal called out, earning a laugh from everyone, including Chad.

"We'll come visit you. Maybe see a few matches." Doug suggested with a kind undertone, earning a grateful nod from Chad.

"So… At least most of us will be close to Auradon City…" Jane summed up. "Lonnie, Jay, Archer and Lancelot, when we'll be able to meet up will mostly depend on you…"

"Joy…" Archer mumbled as CJ ruffled his hair.

"But before the next schoolyear starts…" Freddie patted her thighs in a pretend drumroll. "There's summer break… Summer break, guys! We can actually go on vacation! Has anyone made concrete plans yet?"

"King stuff…" Ben groaned.

"Queen stuff…" Mal joined in.

"Yes, but, like… You still have some free time, right? Aren't you gonna travel or, you know, relax for a little while?" Freddie asked in an eager tone.

"I mean… Yes… Right, Ben?" She wanted to make sure just in case.

"Oh, definitely. I mean, first we'll have our honeymoon… We can try to meet up with some of you during the summer though." said Ben.

"I would urge you to stay away from Agrabah in the summer." Jordan told them. "The sun will melt the skin off of your bones."

"I can vouch for that." Jay muttered.

"I have an open invitation from my parents for all of you to come visit Camelot." Archer called out. "They welcome the company. I was already planning on bringing CJ along this summer, but the more the merrier."

"Can Celia come?" Freddie perked up.

"The more the merrier." Archer repeated with a smile, causing Freddie to squeal in excitement.

"That could be fun." Evie was practically hopping up and down. "Maybe we can do, like, a tour of each other's parts of the kingdom? Stay in castles and palaces… We'll get to spend so much more time together, and this time without any homework to worry about…"

"Or wars…" Aden added.

"Or wars." Evie replied, shooting him an exasperated glare.

"It would be a lot of fun to show you guys my home." said Doug. "The flowers in the Enchanted Wood is particularly beautiful during summer, and my uncles are always pestering me about spending more time with my nieces and nephews."

"I was already supposed to go back home for the summer…" Chad whined. "My parents have been relentlessly nagging my ear off for months about also spending more time with the family… But who knows? Maybe I can get them to let me off the hook for a little while… Though I'll probably have to bring Chloe along…"

"Again, Camelot has plenty of spare chambers." Archer said. "For those who haven't been, you'll love it. The Heights are filled with creeks and lakes… Perfect for swimming during the summer…"

"I wanna go." Carlos put up his hand.

"We'll all go." Mal stated. "It's hereby settled. I, as queen, approve this plan."

The others gave another cheer.

Mal's heart felt warm and alive. She felt like she had been living for this wedding for months – like it was the be all and end all of her life. To find out that she could still plan ahead for things, even it was just a simple vacation with all her friends, and look forward to them with this much glee, was immensely rewarding.

Mal also realized that this vacation might be one of the last truly relaxing times of her entire life. In a short while, she would start her official duties as queen. She had seen how Ben was often impacted by the demands of ruling, resulting in fatigue, mood swings, headaches and severe lack of sleep. Ben had always warned her about the toll the crown would take on her, but she had accepted all the hardships if it meant she could spend her life with him.

As the people around her resumed talking about all the things they wanted to do, Mal cuddled closer to Ben again, nuzzling her head against his shoulder.

Off in the distance, a particularly large firework was set off, illuminating the sky with bright purple and gold sparks and an accompanying loud bang.

"That's Merlin's work." said Lancelot from his spot. "Seems like the festivities haven't died down yet."

"I imagine the kingdom will come to a total standstill tomorrow. You know, since all the royals will be nursing hangovers and such…" Aden remarked with a grin.

The others laughed.

"Should we maybe rejoin the party at some point?" Audrey proposed, sounding semi-hesitant.

"Pff, I've had enough of elderly royalty pinching my cheeks, telling me what a big boy I've become..." Royce complained.

"And you can be damn sure they'll get even more handsy now that they've collectively downed half the royal wine cellar." Lonnie added. "We got what we need right here, don't we? A nice fire… Plenty of bottles… Each other…"

"Speaking of…" Jordan snapped her fingers, making a cooler filled to the brim with bottles pop out of thin air.

"Very suave." Jay nodded approvingly.

Everyone cheered as the bottles were passed around and popped open. "Cheers!"

The rest of the night continued in the same laid-back, relaxed fashion.

Lancelot at one point showed off how he could blow the smoke of his pipe in several astonishingly complicated shapes. He started with a simple circle. Then a spiral. A sword. A bird. Lastly, he conjured up a smoke-colored dragon that floated over the group's heads before dissipating, earning him much applause.

Jay fell asleep twice more, blabbering incoherent nonsense when he would wake up and groggily demanding another bottle each time.

The Righteous Sons delighted the others with a number of crude singalongs they had picked up during their years of service, the last one being so graphic that Audrey covered her ears with her hands to block out the noise, a disgusted frown on her face.

Jay, Lonnie, Archer, CJ, Freddie and Jordan got together to play a few card games, using bottlecaps as currency, leading to both much laughter and exasperated complaints. When Freddie kept winning, it was CJ who first got suspicious and outed her friend for using her magic to change the symbols on the playing cards.

Mal just laughed as the players subsequently started chasing Freddie all over the Auradon Prep grounds as she tossed magical playing cards at their heads in an attempt to outrun them.

Lancelot was the first to call it a night. While everyone was saddened to see him go, they could not really blame him for wanting to go to bed. It was practically morning, after all.

Aden, Royce and Chad did decide to rejoin the party somewhere along the line, all eager to put the moves on some princesses while they still had the chance.

In a similar fashion, CJ at one point dragged Archer away from the campfire and into the darkness of the woods surrounding Auradon Prep, out of view from the rest of the group. The duo only returned an hour later, both with somewhat disheveled hair and identical blushes on their faces.

The party eventually stopped. The deejay loudly called out for everyone to get on the dancefloor one more time as he started playing the final song. Mal and her friends, the ones still seated around the campfire, opted to simply stay put. Aden, Royce and Chad did not return, all of them likely having found a partner to share the last dance with. When the final song ended, a loud applause erupted from the party tent, after which the sound of hundreds of people making their way across the grounds could be heard. Mal looked through the trees, but only saw vague silhouettes and heard the distant murmuring of tired and hoarse voices.

Once that commotion died down, the grounds at long last became completely silent. Mal could hear crickets, as well as the gentle breeze of the wind blowing through the trees. Moths and fireflies were fluttering around their heads, likely attracted to the fire. The lights that had until now shone through the windows of Auradon Prep were dimmed, bathing all of Mal's surroundings in complete darkness, safe for the campfire and the faint glow of the beautiful starlit sky.

No one was speaking anymore. Doug had put his guitar away, and he and Evie were lying on their backs next to each other, admiring the stars. Jay had fallen asleep again, and Lonnie took advantage of this opportunity to braid his hair a little. Archer was also sleeping, occasionally letting out loud snores as he leaned against CJ, who looked at him in both a loving and exasperated fashion.

The campfire gradually burned out, until only a few smoldering embers and charred remnants of logs remained. This didn't really matter, seeing as how, judging from a faint golden shimmer on the horizon, the sun was already starting to rise.

"Ungh… It's morning already…" Ben murmured, having seemingly been on the brink of falling asleep.

Most of the others began stirring as well, the sunrise apparently signaling somewhat ironically that it was most definitely time for bed.

Mal stretched her arms as she looked across their little campfire site, which became more visible with every minute as the sun climbed higher. The ground was strewn with discarded bottles, bottlecaps and playing cards. She made a mental note to herself to come back later that day to clean up.

"Everyone…" Ben called out, sounding tired as he stood up.

Jay was startled away again, shaking his head and causing his newly-braided hair to dance around. Archer awoke as well, letting out a loud yawn.

Ben yawned too. "It's morning… So, let's, ehm, call it a night… Come on… There are soft beds waiting for us…"

Everyone let out some vague mutters, implying they agreed. They collectively stood up and slowly made their way towards Auradon Prep. The party tent was still standing on the large field behind the main building, but was completely abandoned. A few of the sprinklers were spraying water across some of the lawns and flower beds, their clicking and hissing sounding pleasant and familiar.

Archer saw an opportunity and took it, grabbing CJ and carrying her over his shoulder before he started running straight through the jets of water. CJ's screams of terror quickly turned into uncontrollable laughter as the two were doused from head to toe.

Alex joined in, grabbing Jordan before also heading straight into the fray. Audrey complained that she had had her hair done the day before as Freddie and Jane worked together to pull her along. Lonnie took Doug by the arm, ignoring his hesitant protests as she dragged him over to the impromptu water ballet as well. He was just about able to put his glasses away, not wanting to risk them getting wet.

Mal burst out laughing, the exhaustion completely forgotten, as she watched her friends run around and splash water at each other like unruly children.

It was a far cry from all the pressure and agony Mal had had to deal with ever since she had been allowed into Auradon. From not knowing who she wanted to be, struggling to fit in and overcoming prejudice and adversity, to dealing with injuries, death and a miserable war, she had hit some terrible low points over the past few years. Still, those low point had been matched by incredibly joyous highs, from helping more villain kids cross over and establishing the orphanage, to finally getting married to Ben.

As she looked around now, seeing her friends all carefree and filled with joy, she knew she would do it all over again, misery and all, to get to where she was now.

She felt Ben's arms around her as they continued to laugh and holler, watching their friends become increasingly drenched.

Bright rays of sunlight now shone over the tops of the trees. Morning dew glistened on the lush lawns of Auradon Prep, creating an almost ethereal landscape. Rainbow-like shapes formed as the spray from the sprinklers caught the sunshine.

"Ben, you're not getting out of this!" Archer called out, his wet suit clinging tightly to his body as he managed to escape the light-hearted tussle and approached the currently dry group, accompanied by Alex.

Ben only half-heartedly resisted as the two playfully began carrying him over to the watery party. He looked back at Mal with a bright grin, the royal crown of Auradon dangling sideways on his head, right before he was pulled straight into the path of one of the sprinklers.

Mal simply laughed for a few seconds, watching as Ben shook his head like a wet dog. It was one of his less conventional habits.

She then looked to her left and right. Only Evie, Jay and Carlos still stood beside her, which seemed fitting. Her story, the parts that mattered at least, had always revolved around them. Her friends. Her crew. Her VK's.

"I love you guys." Mal practically whispered, though she was sure her friends could hear her.

"Right back atcha." Jay smirked, reaching out to grab her hand and squeeze it tightly.

"Promise me we'll always be there for each other." Evie said, grabbing Mal's other hand. "Even when we live on opposite sides of the kingdom and might not see each other for months… Promise me you guys will still be there…"

"Always." Carlos spoke, taking Evie's free hand in his own.

And so they stood. The four original villain kids. The ones who paved the way. The ones who'd had to learn to care and love. The ones who did not let any setbacks get in the way of what they believed in. The ones who had always been taught to fend for themselves, but had instead chosen to fight for what they held dear. The ones who had saved Auradon. The ones with the biggest hearts.

"You know, it feels sorta wrong for us four to stand here while they are jumping through water…" Jay pointed out, staring at their friends, who were still laughing and dancing around. "I mean… There's got to be a rule against that…"

"And we're the VK's…" Carlos added, nodding. "Breaking rules is supposed to be our thing…"

"Nothing's stopping us." Evie shrugged, looking sideways at Mal with a playful twinkle in her eye.

Mal knew that twinkle all too well. It spelled mischief and trouble. She loved that twinkle. She smiled back.

"Cause we're rotten…" She said, holding out her fist.

"To the core…" Her friends answered in unison, their fists joining hers.

Mal felt a familiar warmth in her chest.

"Hey…" Carlos began, a wicked smile tugging at his lips. "Last one over there…"

"…is a rotten apple!" Mal, Evie and Jay yelled out together.

The four of them sprinted towards their friends. And towards their happy ever after.

The end.

You didn't think that was the end of the story, did you? (Yes, I said it)

Another big thank you for everyone who has been reading this story and engaging with me through reviews and private messages. I have truly had a wonderful time putting my thoughts on paper and writing this story.

Coming soon; Descendants: Paint it Red