Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants or its prequel Isle of the Lost. The first bit is transcribed directly from the movie to lead into the story.

Mal's stomach was in knots. Everyone at the coronation was frozen, completely unmoving. Not even breathing. It was as if time had stopped for everyone except her, her three friends, and her mother, who stood in front of them, cackling. Mal watched as Maleficent walked from Beast to Fairy Godmother and snatched the wand from the headmistress's hand.

Maleficent turned on Mal. "Let's start by getting rid of this." She pointed the wand at her, and Ben's ring flew off her finger and onto the wand. "Perfect fit!"

Mal sniffled and hung her head, feeling defeated. Just after choosing good, her mother was still going to take over and put an end to the new life she had found. The life she had chosen. She swallowed and looked back up as her mother approached Ben, and her heart clenched tightly in fear. What if she hurt Ben? Surely, she wouldn't. But...no, this was her mother. Her mother thrived on making others miserable, especially Mal.

Maleficent touched Ben's face, turning his face toward hers haphazardly. And then Maleficent was the one who froze, her eyes fixed on Ben's own. In an instant, she stepped back like she had been shocked, and her eyes roamed his face and down over his body. She turned to Mal, then to the frozen Beast. She inhaled deeply and slammed the end of her scepter against the floor. Beast, Belle, Ben, and Fairy Godmother all unfroze.

Ben surged forward as the roar he had been unable to finish was torn from his lips. Then he stopped and glared at Maleficent.

Maleficent pointed the wand between Beast and Belle. "You two." She settled the wand on Beast. "You." She nodded to Ben. "You thought I wouldn't recognize him?"

Mal frowned, looking at Ben. He seemed to be just as confused as she was. Why had her mother suddenly unfrozen them and stopped her master plan to question Beast?

Belle glanced at Beast, and Beast shook his head. "What do you mean, Maleficent?"

"What do I mean?" Maleficent asked. She laughed one of her usual cackles before quickly sobering. "You mean to tell me you didn't think I would recognize my own son?"

Somewhere to Mal's left, Jay snorted. "What?" he muttered. But no one looked at him. Belle's eyes were suddenly very large, her gaze flitting between her husband and Maleficent. Belle shook her head to Beast, a warning.

"Dad, what's she talking about?" Ben asked.

Maleficent's mouth suddenly curled into a grin. "Oh, Beast, you don't mean to tell me you've been keeping it a secret, have you?" She smiled at Ben. "Your mommy and daddy have been very bad people. Almost as bad as me, though that would be a compliment." She shot Beast a wicked grin before looking back at Ben. "You're adopted, aren't you? Well, actually, I guess they would've lied about that too."

Ben looked to his parents. "No, seriously, what's she talking about?"

Belle was gripping Beast's arm so tightly that her knuckles were white. She looked up at Beast and shook her head. There were tears in her eyes.

Beast looked from Ben to Maleficent and glared at her. "We weren't going to tell him."

"Tell me what?" Ben asked.

Mal felt Evie's hand slip into hers, and she gripped her hand tightly, using the contact as an anchor as she listened. Something big was happening, and it didn't seem like her mother was lying. But...none of it made sense.

Beast sighed heavily. "You're adopted, Ben. Well...sort of. You're my biological son."

Ben shook his head. "But...what? Mom, what does he mean?"

Belle swallowed. "I couldn't...I couldn't have children, Ben. I...I couldn't carry a baby to term. We lost multiple pregnancies."

"But, but...then who's-"

"I already told you." Maleficent rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder at Mal. "Not very bright, is he?" Then she paused and turned a bit more to Mal. "Oh, this just gets better. You two liked each other." She laughed and had to use her scepter to keep standing upright as she doubled over. "Oh, this is priceless!"

Mal frowned. "I love Ben, Mother. What's your point?"

Maleficent frowned and narrowed her eyes. "You can't be in love with him. He's your brother."

Mal shook her head. "You're lying. You were only ever pregnant once."

"Well, how would you know?" Maleficent countered. She sighed. "But, yes, you're right, I was only pregnant once. But, you know, Mal, I would think that even the dumbest of people could figure out that meant you two are twins."

"Enough!" Beast shouted. "Maleficent, you will leave."

"Actually, I won't." Maleficent pointed the wand's tip back at Beast. "You're going to tell them what really happened sixteen years ago. I'm rather curious myself how you came by him when he's supposed to be dead. Anyways, yes, tell them. Then, I'll kill you. Or imprison you. Depends on how I'm feeling after your side of the tale."

Beast shook his head.

"Dad," Ben said softly. "Explain. Please. Is she telling the truth?"

Beast looked at Belle and then to Fairy Godmother. The headmistress just nodded. Beast sighed. "Sixteen years ago, I went to the Isle of the Lost on an errand to offer the villains a deal. They could do community service to pay for their debts to society. But they were prideful and obviously didn't take kindly to the idea of working in menial jobs. Maleficent agreed to a meeting with me over drinks, which was all a big joke."

Maleficent rolled her eyes. "You're the joke," she grumbled.

Beast shot a glare at her before addressing Ben again. "We...well, Ben, we...I made some poor choices, and one thing led to another. We...uh-"

"We had sex," Maleficent put in, which earned her another glare from Beast. "What? You weren't going to say it."

Beast sighed. "Anyways, yes, we slept together. And I left. For that reason, I haven't made a trip back to the Isle in the past sixteen years."

"That's not the only reason," Maleficent corrected him.

"Fine, no, it's not the only reason. News from the Isle often gets to Auradon by way of the garbage barges that travel between the two. One of the men running one of these let it slip at the dock that Maleficent was pregnant some months later. This alarmed me, but I mostly tried to cover it up. It was only when I heard that she had had twins and was planning on killing the boy that I knew I had to do something. I told your mother the truth about why I had been so reserved and jumpy since my trip to the Isle. I was guilty. I hadn't been honest with her. I had cheated." Beast swallowed. "But, according to the garbage man, Maleficent had given birth to a girl and a boy. The girl appeared to be to Maleficent's liking - just like her. The boy was seemingly human in every way possible. Maleficent didn't approve."

"No, I didn't," Maleficent agreed.

"Maleficent, if you want to tell the story..."

"No, go on, go on."

Beast huffed. "Ben, you were that baby boy. The garbage man said she was planning on giving you to some dock workers to cast into the sea to drown. As much as I hated what I had done, I couldn't let an innocent child die. So, Belle and I agreed to take you in. We wanted children so badly. She was willing to forgive me and adopt you as her own. We agreed that if Maleficent was willing to kill you, then she likely saw nothing evil in you that she could corrupt and use to her advantage. It was a perfect plan. So, the garbage man volunteered to take you to drown you. But, instead, he delivered you to Fairy Godmother. And she brought you to us. We knew we could never tell you. The people of Auradon would not approve of a descendant of a villain being their king."

Ben was shaking his head. "You can't...you can't be serious. Mom. Mom, tell me he's lying."

Belle shook her head. "I wish I could, Ben. I really do." She swallowed. "I'm sorry. That's...that's why we were scared when you decided on your proclamation. We thought...well, we thought that once you met Mal, you might somehow realize something was wrong."

Ben glanced at Mal now, and Mal felt her chest seize. She was already dazed, just trying to absorb Beast's story. Now, under Ben's gaze, she felt like throwing up. "That's why you didn't want me dating her," he said, his eyes boring into Mal. "Because we're twins."

Maleficent grinned. "Ah, he finally gets it. Yes, and for the record, your birth name isn't Benjamin. Rotten, common name, if you ask me. No, I gave you something much worse, something sweet. Benevolent."

Ben swallowed. "What?"

Maleficent spread her arms, her scepter in one hand and the wand in the other. "Come now, come give Mummy a hug."

Mal sprung, anger driving her forward. She had been lied to. She had a brother. She had fallen in love with her brother. Everything was a lie. She collapsed onto the hand with the wand, wrestling it from her mother.

"By this wand in my hand, forever more leave this sacred land," Mal rattled off, thinking of the quickest rhyme to make a banishing spell.

Maleficent's eyes widened, and there was a flash of bright lavender light. When it disappeared, Maleficent's scepter clattered to the floor. She was gone, but Mal knew she had left a hurricane in the hall with them. Around her, people in the hall were now moving, unfrozen and living once again. Mal cast a glance toward Ben and then to Beast. At least now, she finally knew who her father was. She already knew it couldn't be a lie. Why would Beast and Belle agree with Maleficent if the story wasn't true?

Thanks so much for reading the first chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Remember to check my profile for periodic news on updates. Give this a fave, follow, and review if you liked it.

Foarrin