Descendants 1: A New Story

Chapter 8: Change of plans and Feelings

Back in Jay and Carlos's dorm room, the five of them were plotting the final step of their plan. They gathered around a table where Mal had spread out her hand-drawn map of the coronation cathedral, covered in Xs and arrows.

"Okay," Mal said, pointing to the diagram. "I will be in the very front. You all will be up in the balcony. Carlos?"

"I'll find our limo so we can break the barrier and get back to the island with the wand," Carlos said

"Perfect," Mal replied. She then picked up a small blue bottle that looked like perfume. "Evie, you and Henry will use this to take out the driver." She handed it to Evie. "Two sprays and he'll be out like a light." Henry looked at the small bottle, as j e felt a knot of uncertainty in his stomach, but he didn't say anything as no one seemed to notice. Mal looked around the table, but the confident mood had been replaced by a heavy silence. With a sigh, she sat down and opened her spell book to a page titled, 'How to Break a Love Spell.'

Evie peeked over her shoulder. "M? You want to break Ben's love spell?"

Henry walked over and put a hand on his sister's shoulder, trying to be there for her. "That's... the right thing to do, Mal." he said.

Mal gave them a small look. "Yeah," she said to Evie. "You know, for after..." She trailed off. "I've just been thinking. When the villains finally do invade Auradon and begin to, you know, kick everyone out of their castles... and imprison their leaders... and destroy all that is good and beautiful..." She looked at her friends, who were all staring off, lost in thought. "...Ben still being in love with me just seems a little extra cruel."

Mal snapped the spell book shut and walked out of the room. Evie got up to follow her. "Mal, wait up!" Evie called, seeing her heading not to their room, but toward the school kitchen. She noticed Henry was following a few steps behind. "Henry? Where are you going?"

"I... I just need to talk to her," he said quietly, and continued on.

Later that night, the dorm was dark and quiet. In their room,  Mal stood alone in the empty kitchen, stirring a bowl of chocolate cookie batter. Her spell book was open on the counter beside her. As she stirred, she finally allowed herself to feel everything she'd been pushing down, the guilt, the confusion, the horrible feeling that she was doing something truly rotten to a good person. Ben was kind, and he deserved to be free, even if it meant he would go back to hating her.

Mal:
A million thoughts in my head
Should I let my heart keep listening
I know it's time to say goodbye
It's so hard to let go

As Mal stared into the finished chocolate, a single tear escaped and fell into the bowl. She closed her spell book, the sound echoing in the silent kitchen.

"Didn't think I'd see that again," Henry's voice came from the doorway.

Mal jumped, quickly wiping her eyes. "There's this new thing called knocking," she grumbled.

"You haven't cried since you were six. After that nightmare." Henry said, ignoring the comment and walked in, his face uncharacteristically serious. "Are you sure about this, Mal? The anti-spell?"

"It's what has to be done," she said, not looking at him.

Henry leaned against the counter, hesitating before speaking. "About what 'has to be done'... I've been thinking."

"That's never a good thing." Mal quipped

Henry took a slow deep breath and composed himself. "I need to tell you something." He said

"If this is another bad joke, I'm not in the mood," she warned.

"It's not a joke," he said, and finally decided; it was now or never. "I can't help you, Mal.... I'm done."