"...Mother?" (A Descendants × Hadeficent story)

Ch. 13 - Who is she (to be)?

"Ben."

Even talk of art had not been enough to distract her. Mal gripped her pen so tightly, it was evident that it was bending, about to snap any time. "Who am I, exactly?" Mal muttered, forcing him to look at her, and Ben blinked, unsure how he should have answered that question, "Uhm...you're Mal." "Not that answer, you fool." Mal growled, before she amended herself at his shocked expression, "Sorry, that was a habit. I meant, who am I, as in, what blood runs in my veins?"

"Mal, are you alright?" Ben chose to avert the topic, "You've been like this ever since the talk with Hades ended. Look, let's put the homework aside. Let's go buy some chocolate, or some sundae, okay?" "Answer the damn question, Ben." Mal snapped, in no time or mood for manners, and Ben stared at her, as though deciding between answering her or being beaten up, and he chose the former, "Right, then. You're Maleficent's daughter. But as Hades mentioned, I'm sure, you guys don't have to follow in your parents' footsteps-"

"Maleficent and who's daughter?" Mal slammed her hand with the pen down, and the librarian gave them a disapproving glare as the pen parts clattered on the floor by the sheer force of Mal's grip, the spring bouncing away, "Maleficent could not possibly have done up herself. Who is my father?" "I don't know, Mal." Ben replied patiently, his kind eyes more sympathetic than ever, "Maybe we could take you for a paternity test." "It must be him." She whispered out of nowhere, grabbing fistfuls of purple locks, "But why doesn't he admit it?"

"Who?" Ben asked, out of general curiosity, but Mal conveniently ignored him, too lost in thought: "If it isn't him, how could it be? Our magic was one. Our flames were one. The fire was a part of my magic, but not my doing." "Flames? There was a fire?" Ben yelped, his eyes widened, "You started a fire?" "Magical fire. It doesn't burn." Mal finally gathered back enough spirit to hear the yammering beside her, "Ben, you know the date this weekend?" "Oh, yes, it's the 27th..." The prince began, before he realised that he had misunderstood her, and with a hasty laugh, he corrected himself, "Oh, our date? I wanted to bring you to a cafe. Figured that you'd probably never been to one."

"Bring me to Olympus instead, perhaps?" Mal batted her eyelashes, and Ben felt his heart beat faster, in both swoon and anxiety, "O-Olympus?? The land of the gods???" "Or Hades, more specifically." Mal continued sweetly, "It was so inspirational hearing him talk. I would love to hear more about how he reformed himself back then..." "Hades? That'll be easy." Ben wiped away the ghost of his cold sweat, "He stays at Castle Beast with us when he's not at the Underworld or when Dad wants a partner for hunting. He's very convenient for pointing out which are dying soon. And Dad is going hunting this weekend."

"Really?" Mal clapped her hands together, "Why don't we go there, then?" "I've never brought anyone other than my girlfriend or Chad or Doug home before, though." Ben gulped shyly, "Kind of privacy for the King and Queen." "Oh." Mal's shoulders sagged in disappointment, although she did wonder if Ben would kill both her worries with a single stone, and Ben cleared his throat softly, "I'll get back to you later, yeah?"

"Yeah." Mal afforded a smile as he waved a goodbye and left the library, and Mal sighed, disheartened. She had also just messed up her homework by chasing away the person she relied on for the answers. "E?" Mal pulled out her phone, texting her friend.

"I might need to use your magic mirror again."

...

"Finally remembered that we're your friends, eh, buddy?"

Doug was quiet, as always. And Chad...chasing after Audrey, as always. "Slipped in after we broke up, didn't you?" Ben sounded as bitter as the frappuccino he was drinking, "She accepted you?" "Not officially. But soon, I hope." Chad had a whole dreamy expression, and Doug turned to Ben, "How are things with Mal?" "The daughter of Maleficent? When?" Chad came back to reality upon hearing that, and Ben mentally sighed. Not again.