After the Rise, a Descendant's The Rise of Red Story.

Chapter 17-⚠️Love and Magic⚠️

⚠️Same warning as the last chapter⚠️

Sunday, 28th August, 2024-Auradon Prep

SRO McCain helped Red to her feet. She felt weak, like all the energy had been drained from her body. McCain put Red into his truck, the ambulance drove away, their destination no longer the hospital E.R. McCain turned around, heading back for Auradon. Red still couldn't believe this was happening, the events replaying in her mind. Each time she saw Chloe laying injured, it felt like a sword was run through her heart. McCain pulled up to the dorm entrance. He came over to Reds door and opened it for her. She stepped out and hugged him. He was taken aback but hugged her none the less. After a minute, they separated.

M-"Red, if you need anything, just call."

Red shot him a tiny, fake smile, then turned and walked into the hallway, up to her dorm. She opened the door slowly, as if hoping by some miracle Chloe would be waiting for her, but no, the room was empty. Red didn't even try to look at Chloes' side of the room as she walked in and collapsed to her bed. Then Red remembered the pocket watch. All of a sudden, it felt like the energy had returned to her body. She practically jumped off the bed and dug through her belongings. After digging for a few minutes, she finally found it.

As she went to activate it, intending to go back to save Chloe, the golden device slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor and breaking. Red fell to the bed again. Her only hope at getting Chloe back was gone. Red couldn't live without Chloe, and she didn't intend to. She slowly got up and looked around Chloes side of the room, admiring the photos of Chloe from when she was younger. Red then exited the room.

McCain had just returned to the station when dispatch called him. They told him someone from MEI wanted to talk to him. McCain had the call transferred to his personal phone. The news made him run to his truck in a mix of joy and shock.

Back at the school, Red was slowly climbing the guard tower that her and Chloe had gone to last Wednesday. Her heart was heavy as she climbed those stairs. All the memories of Chloe hit her again. As she got to the top, she looked out over the horizon, even after what had just happened it was still beautiful. In total, only five students, including Chloe, were dead, but many more injured. All four of the shooters were dead as well, and two officers were in critical confition. The north side of campus was on lockdown for the night, but Red lived on the south side, so no one cared as she made her way to the tower and snuck in. Red gripped the railing, looking down. She could see the flashes of emergency lights off to her side. There was still a large presence of first responders on the school grounds.

Red heard a siren. She shouldn't be surprised, but for some odd reason, it felt like it was almost calling out to her. Red looked out to the road leading up to Auradon Prep. She saw McCain's truck racing towards the school, lights and sirens going. She wondered why he was coming back, but didn't care enough to find out. Red watched his truck pull up to the front of the school, but she lost it as he drove under the trees. She heard the door shut as McCain exited. She stood along the railing again, contemplating jumping. She didn't want to live without Chloe, but she also knew Chloe would have wanted her to stay. She argued with her thoughts for what seemed like forever, then she heard shouting. The shouts got closer, and louder, it was McCain calling for her. Red didn't answer. Red leaned over the railing, her body trying to pull back, but her mind was pushing forward. She was teetering on the edge and just about to let go.

"Red?"

Red froze, that voice, it wasn't McCain. Red pulled back and turned around. She looked around at the top of the stairs, to her amazement, a short girl with curly blue hair, wearing a blue Auradon hoodie and shorts looked at her.

R-"Chloe!"

The girls ran at each other, and they slammed into a hug as they both burst out crying, they hugged for what seemed like hours, McCain had finally got to the top of the tower by the time they separated, smile as big as it could get. Red had so many questions, but she didn't care for answers. She was overjoyed that Chloe was here.

R-"I have so many questions right now."

C-"I know baby, I know, it's ok."

R-"It is so not ok, you died Chloe, like actually died not just a stupid dream."

C-"I know, but it's ok, I'm here."

Chloe grabbed Reds' hands, placing it to her chest. Red felt the familiar calm beat of Chloes' heart. She was alive. Red pulled Chloe back into another hug. She swore she wasn't ever gonna let this girl put off her sight again, even if she knew it was impossible.

C-"You wanna talk about it now?"

R-"Yes."

C-"Ok, apparently after they got me to the Medical Examiners office, they realized the wound had disappeared, and a little while after I regained a pulse and woke up."

R-"How?"

C-"They don't know, but we have a theory, McCain said you went in the ambulance to see me after I died, and he swears the tears coming out of your eyes were glowing pink."

R-"You think me crying on you managed to revive you?"

C-"Do you have a better theory?"

R-"No."

All three of them let out a slight laugh before the girls hugged again.

M-"You two take care, I've gotta go assist with the rest of this mess, I'll see you guys later."

As he left, the girls started to kiss each other, the emotions of the last few hours pouring out across their lips, the love they held for each other only growing stronger by the second. After hours of just holding and kissing, they finally left the tower, heading to their dorm. The girls both lay down on Chloes bed for once. Red practically death gripped Chloe as they cuddled up, but neither of them could sleep. They lay there, savoring each other's presence for several hours, taking turns comforting the other when tears started to form, they where gonna get through this, but it wasn't gonna be easy. They spent the night like this, eventually falling asleep, by that afternoon, parents had learned what happened and were arriving to pick up their kids, as the school was going to shutdown for a unknown amount of time.

The girls were awakened by soft knocking, Chloe opened the door to her mother, father, brother, Reds mom, and Maddox all at the door. Cinderella and Charming both hugged their daughter as Bridget and Maddox ran for Red, pulling her into a hug. Eventually, everyone came into one big hug.

⚠️Authors note⚠️

No school for a while, but what's gonna happen with these 2 not living together, we shall see

Anyways, this is my apologies for the last chapter. Everything is ok for now, but it will not remain that way forever. The next few chapters are gonna focus on Chloe and Red figuring out what to do now that Schools shutdown, and also some Halloween shenanigans since spooky season is approaching soon.

Also, do we want more long chapters or keep them right around the length of this one(1500 words or less)