Descendants: Hearts of time.

chapter 7

Ruby’s hands itched, her fingers clamped protectively around the pocket watch as she stood face to face with Blair. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. All she’d wanted was to go back a few minutes to swipe her mother’s deck of enchanted cards and hopefully derail her dangerous schemes. Instead, they’d stumbled decades back, to a time when Auradon didn’t exist, and Fairy Godmother herself was barely learning to control her own powers. Now, Blair was looking at her with an accusatory glare, and Ruby felt her temper simmering.

Blair crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "You seriously brought us back in time?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I didn’t bring you here. You just had to grab my watch like it was some toy." She held it up, letting the ancient brass glint in the light. "This was supposed to be a quick trip back to fix things, not a history lesson."

"Quick trip?" Blair snorted. "You two sentenced my mom to death. What’s your excuse for that?"

Red tried to step between them. “Maybe not our finest moment, but–”

“But we’re gonna fix it,” Ruby interrupted, her voice firm. She didn’t need Blair judging her, especially not now. “The plan wasn’t to hurt your mom—it was to stop mine. But plans… change.”

Blair’s eyes flickered with something—was it understanding, or was she sizing Ruby up for a fight? "Well, I’m here now. So, how do you plan to fix it?"

Ruby took a deep breath, her frustration bubbling over. "Look, this isn’t just about you, princess. This is about stopping my mom before she causes even more damage."

“Oh, so it’s all about you, is it?” Blair’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You think you’re the only one who has something at stake? Give me that watch. I’m going to save my mom.”

She lunged forward, reaching for the pocket watch, but Ruby whipped it behind her back, out of Blair’s reach. Her temper flared. “Get your hands off!” she snapped, her voice a low growl. “You think this is just about your precious mom? Newsflash, Blair: we’re trying to stop a woman who will stop  at nothing to get revenge and plunge entire kingdoms into chaos to do so. That’s not something you mess around with.”

Blair squared her shoulders, her jaw set in defiance. “I worked hard for every piece of my life, every trophy, every moment. I’m not just going to let you ruin it.” She raised her chin, eyes blazing. “I’ll do whatever it takes to save my mom.”

Their arguments escalated, each more determined than the other, voices filling the abandoned hall. Before they knew it, they were speaking over each other, neither of them willing to back down.

Suddenly, Ruby felt a familiar urge. The words bubbled up, and before she knew it, she was singing—her voice sharp with emotion and edge.

🎶 "How naive to still believe you'll get a happy ever after," 🎶 Ruby sneered, her words biting. 🎶 "A privileged little princess, a fairy-fail disaster." 🎶

Blair’s response came quickly, her tone steely. 🎶 "Spoken like a slacker, Ruby, you're seeing someone else. I worked hard for every single trophy sitting on my shelf." 🎶

Their voices echoed, each challenging the other, neither of them willing to relent.

🎶 "You're a poser with a bad attitude," 🎶 Blair shot back.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. 🎶 "That's not true; you don't know the things that I've been through." 🎶

🎶 "Neither do you," 🎶 Blair replied, her voice softer, almost a confession. 🎶 "Well, then tell me, little goody two-shoes—what do you think we should do?" 🎶

Blair’s voice grew louder, more desperate as she took a step closer to Ruby, her words now laced with urgency and anger.

🎶 "I'll tell it to you straight to your face," 🎶 she began, fists clenched. 🎶 "There isn't any time left to waste. My kingdom back home needs to be saved; give me the pocket watch, or you're getting slayed." 🎶

Ruby’s mouth twisted into a smirk, but there was a glint of respect in her eyes. She hadn’t thought Blair had it in her.

🎶 "Tell your pack of cards I’m coming back to cut their deck," 🎶 Blair continued, her voice growing stronger. 🎶 "I could beat your evil army in a millisec. I'll slice them up like cheddar, my mom won't have forever. The clock is ticking and it's time—this is now or never." 🎶

The two stared each other down, breaths coming hard, eyes blazing with anger, but something else too—understanding, maybe?

🎶 "We’ll cross swords, hope not to die," 🎶 Blair sang, their voices mingling. 🎶 "We’re on opposite sides in the fight of our lives." 🎶

They stood in silence for a beat, the weight of their mission pressing down on them. They were two sides of the same coin, both desperate to protect their mothers, both stubborn enough to risk everything for them.

🎶 "Use your brains, going back will just cause more pain," 🎶 Ruby sang, her voice softer now, trying to reach Blair. 🎶 "We agree we gotta make a change. Defeat the Queen above everything. You're on my side, or you're in my way." 🎶

🎶 "There’s a reason we’re here today," 🎶 Ruby continued. 🎶 "For past, present, and future's sake." 🎶

Blair’s voice came back, softer but just as determined. 🎶 "Guess I'm gonna do it on my own." 🎶

🎶 "You're not gonna catch me if I fall," 🎶 Ruby replied, her tone laced with challenge.

Blair took a deep breath. "Ruby… I know we have our differences. But maybe—just maybe—if we work together, we can fix this.”

Ruby looked at her, her heart pounding. She’d always been used to going it alone, but maybe Blair had a point. “You’re willing to put your pride aside?” she asked, the tiniest glimmer of hope in her voice.

Blair nodded, and for the first time, Ruby felt the smallest hint of relief. They weren’t alone in this fight, not anymore.

🎶 "We might not be a team," 🎶 Blair sang, her voice softer now. 🎶 "But we gotta try. Did you change your heart, or just change your mind?" 🎶

🎶 "So cross our swords, hope not to die," 🎶 Ruby joined in, and for the first time, there was no venom in her voice. 🎶 "I’m kinda surprised—are we on the same side?" 🎶

🎶 "Change the future in the past," 🎶 they sang together, voices merging in harmony. 🎶 "We gotta move forward where we’re at. The moment is now, but it won’t last." 🎶

The song faded, and Ruby felt a strange sense of peace. She and Blair weren’t friends, not yet. But they were allies, bound by a common goal and a shared determination to protect the ones they loved.

Blair looked at her with a tentative smile. “So… truce?”

Ruby nodded, letting the pocket watch dangle between them. “Truce,” she agreed.

And together, they turned, side by side, ready to face whatever the past—or their mothers—might throw at them next.