Junior Descendants

2

Chapter 2

When MJ got home, she went straight to her room to see if she could figure out what was up with her ring. But, as she quickly skipped a few stairs on the way up, she overheard a few guards talking about the upcoming Beast Moon, and the princess remembered. That had to of been why her emerald was acting up, right?

MJ wasn't 100% sure about it, so she decided to test the ring's power. The princess quickly grabbed the spellbook from her bed and flipped through a few pages before she found the right one. She stood in front of her patio door.

"Open easy, open quick," MJ said, glancing at the page and then looking at the door. "Open up without a kick."

Once she said kick, MJ raised her hand and shot some of her magic at the door. It opened as soon as the green ball hit it. MJ jumped with success as she laughed. "It worked!" she exclaimed, glad her magic hadn't gone out of control. "It actually worked! Woohoo!"

She fist-bumped the air, but instead of just putting her fist in the air, some magic flew to her chandelier, making it fall and break on the floor. MJ stepped back as the glass and crystals spread across the floor. "Oh no," she mumbled, afraid of what her parents might say.

Unfortunately, the princess was too late, for her mother, who was chatting with a few palace guards, had heard the crash from where she was standing. Mal rushed to MJ's room, worried that something had happened to her daughter.

"MJ!" she cried, opening her door and running to the princess. "What happened?"

MJ, frightened by her mother's voice, turned to face the Queen with a nervous look in her eyes. She stuttered with her words as maids were sent upstairs to clean up the mess.

~

MJ had known she was in trouble as soon as she sat at the dining room table, her father standing behind his usual seat while her mother sat across from her. The princess hadn't even noticed how fast her leg was shaking. What was her father going to say?

That question was answered when the King sighed loudly and shook his head. MJ turned towards her father, ready for him to yell.

Ben sighed again, but this time he looked over at his daughter, staring at her with his hazel eyes. "Can you explain what happened in your bedroom? Why I had to send seven maids upstairs to clean glass off your floor?"

MJ knew the question was rhetorical, so she just answered, "I didn't mean to", in a low voice.

"Mal," Ben said, looking at his wife. "This is too dangerous. Especially with what's coming up."

"I know, Ben," Mal answered, nodding. She glanced at their daughter. "But she didn't mean to. You know that. And anyway, MJ knows how to control her powers just as well as anyone."

MJ nodded, agreeing with her mother. "It was one mishap, Dad," she said to the King. "I've had plenty before. But I've learned. I can control myself."

"I want to believe that, MJ," the King replied, "but with the Beast Moon coming up, I'm not sure you're going to be able to control your real power."

The princess paused for a second. What had her father just said? Real power? What did that mean? Hadn't MJ been using actual magic?

"What are you talking about?" she asked her parents, deeply confused.

The King took a breath, turning to his wife for an answer. When she said nothing, Ben turned back to MJ. "Honey," he said, softly.

MJ waited for her dad to continue, biting down on her tongue as she nervously thought about what his words meant.