Hey, Descendants fans! The movie was a surprise favorite for me that inspired this. Since I've had such a warm response for the first piece of Descendants related artwork I uploaded, I thought I'd share this story as well.

All my newer stories come with a WARNING because they deal with heavier topics than my past work. Another area where this story differs from ones I've uploaded in the past is it's all inclusive, which as I stated in the summary means that it deals with the prospect of same-sex couples. (And I say prospect because even I'm not sure of all the couples when I start a story.) If that doesn't fly with anyone reading up to this point, then it is not the story for you and your feedback will not be missed. Please be respectful and keep in mind the rule that if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.

I'd say that this story is drama over comedy because it starts off at a low point (as Mal's opening narration will explain), and I'd say it has more to do with romance as well as other types of love for those that have read some of my other stories. So that explains the shift in genre for anyone wondering. That's not to say that there won't be funny moments. My stories are always about finding the bright side. Enjoy!

This chapter is dedicated to theorathanatos and anythingabouteverything1 of tumblr.

I do not own Descendants

8/10/15

Our story starts at the part where things unravel. Everything was looking bright, but then that changed. No one saw it coming. Now we're losing hope, like all heroes do when their story takes a dark turn.

Problem is, my friends and I weren't raised as heroes. We had to work toward that status ourselves. What if we haven't earned the same privileges? What if we don't catch the same breaks? What if we just found ourselves in a fight we can't win?

One of our own is lying unconscious in a hospital bed. And a so-called hero is to blame for that...

Heavy hearts had plunged the kingdom of Auradon into a hush. Even the castle, which was usually abuzz with plans, had gone semi-silent in sorrow. The former king stepped into the room to find his wife at the window, looking out to the Isle of the Lost.

"She knows." He reported in a whisper. Even that made her shoulders shoot up in surprise. His wife hadn't heard him come in.

"All of it?" She asked, turning to him.

They continued their conversation as they held each other. She could feel the vibration as her husband's head shook. "Not who's responsible."

"Of course not. She can't know." He felt a pull as his wife held her hand out for emphasis, then broke away from their hug. "She'd find a way to break through the barrier and-" She trailed off, looking out the window again. Her sorrow now replaced by fear.

"Belle," Her husband said softly, bringing her attention back to him in hopes to calm her down. She looked his way again. "I think we've learned that the people on the island aren't that different from us. Don't you feel sympathy for Cruella?" When he said this, he wasn't trying to make Belle feel guilty. He was telling her she needn't worry about an attack on their kingdom. That wasn't the issue here. "She's a grieving mother."

Belle shook her head, but not because she didn't feel sorry. She couldn't stand to hear that. Practically the whole kingdom was in disarray over this. Even the sky seemed upset, completely clouded, half the clouds dark as if a storm was brewing.

And it was, whether the rain came or not. "She can't grieve what she hasn't lost."

People piled into the waiting room of the best hospital in all of Auradon by the busload. All the seats were filled, so those who could stand to sit found spots on the floor. Others were up against the walls, watching at all angles for someone with news on the status of the patient. Some had been there since the moment the skids of the helicopter touched the landing pad.

A woman with a clipboard held down at her side marched steadily toward the area. Every pair of eyes there landed on her, but she didn't catch them all.

She saw boys in team jerseys and fans in Auradon Prep school colors. The school's headmistress was there, holding hands with her daughter. Aside from the doctor, the headmistress was the only adult in the room. Most of the others were stuck in traffic on the way there.

An emotional eternity passed before the doctor spoke. She tried to keep her tone even, to avoid getting anyone more rattled than they already were. Or give them false hope. "Family of Carlos de Vil?"

Those seated got to their feet. Those standing took a step forward. The doctor hadn't been expecting such a crowd, much less one so big all waiting to hear about the same person. She sounded mean when she revised her statement, even though she was trying to be nice about it. "Real family."

No one backed down.

The doctor sighed internally. She was just as dedicated to doing her job as these people were to finding out about her patient. "Is anyone with a blood relation to Carlos de Vil present?"

Not a single person sat, but they all stepped back a bit. Their mouths couldn't muster up the words to tell her that that was impossible. Some said it with their glaring eyes.

"With a name like that, I should've figured." She mumbled beneath breath. The glares only got worse.

A voice spoke out from the back of the room. "He's not the villain his mother was." It was then-to her shock-that the doctor noticed she was in the presence of a king. She stared as Ben stepped forward, Maybe it was lighting in the room, but he didn't look like royalty. He looked like a worried sick sixteen-year-old boy. "He's our friend. Please, we just want to know he's-" The king interrupted himself, looking back at the wall he'd stepped away from. Where the girl who wore his ring was standing taller than she felt. He silently cursed the question on his tongue, before looking back at the doctor and asking it. "Is he alive?" His voice was barely there, somewhat stuck in his tightening throat.

It wasn't an order, but the woman took it like one. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The headmistress and her students said nothing, but it seemed that small bit of information allowed everyone to breathe again. The doctor realized that, without Carlos' mother there to relay information to the others, they had all made the trip there to hear for themselves. Only one person would get the official breakdown. Only the king would hear the details. It was up to him who he shared them with. They may only ever hear the aftermath of what happened.

The doctor felt she owed them all the short version. "It will be a few days before he can have visitors… and awhile before he wakes."

Another voice was heard, tone so sharp the doctor felt physically hurt. "How long is awhile?" The girl who posed that question was with Ben. The doctor's guilty pleasure between call times was skimming through the tabloids. This girl, Mal, graced recent covers with the king. Her friends, two of which were next to her and one who the doctor had been charged with caring for, had only ever gotten as much as a bottom left corner. That's why she hadn't even known their names.

The doctor couldn't give a definite answer. "It could be several weeks."

A few students began to protest, but she ignored them even as the headmistress tried to get them under control. The doctor signaled for the king to follow her down the hall.

As Ben walked, he turned his head to look back at his friends for a second. They all watched until he disappeared from view. Angry over what they knew had landed Carlos here, confused over what they didn't know, and sad the young king had to hear all the graphic details without moral support.

"I hate Chad." Mal was sure she had uttered those words before, because Prince Charming Jr. had turned out to be royal jerk. Now the words bubbled up like acid in her throat, and she meant them with every fiber of her being. She spoke over the sounds of a dog whining. On a regular day, the noises would've bothered her. Today she understood.

She looked around Jay's dorm room, where all but one of her friends sat. She wasn't sitting with them because she'd be pacing the floor. Her green eyes landed on Ben. They looked as cold as her voice sounded. Her hands were going in every direction, showing she was losing grip on her emotions. "I am so glad you had him locked away Ben, because if I'd gotten to him first… I would've-"

"I know." Her boyfriend interrupted. That in itself was brave. She wasn't surprised that he cut her off. He was too good-natured to even let her say the word 'kill'. He was sure she could, but not sure if he could get that thought out of her mind. He felt he had to try, though. What he said next shocked everyone in the room. Including himself for admitting it. "I wanted to," He assured. "so I know."

Audrey's jaw dropped.

Doug shifted in his chair.

Evie reached for Doug's hand.

Jane nervously grabbed at the tips of her hair.

Jay licked his lips, and in that moment no one could say if that meant he felt just as bloodthirsty.

Lonnie scooped the dog up into her arms. Only then did he quiet.

Mal knew why Ben spared Chad. If he hadn't? "Then you'd be just as bad as him." She said softly, seeing him nod.

If they were allowed, the friends would've slept on the floor in Jay and Carlos' room that night. They only had until curfew to stay together. And the kid king had even less time. Ben felt an obligation to get back to his parents. After that day's event, he couldn't bear to leave them childless. Even just for a night.

"I have to go." He said as he stood, giving Mal a quick kiss on the cheek. It was the kind of thing that used to make Audrey cringe. She could only smile in that moment, glad they had something to treasure in the midst of a tragedy. With that thought in mind, the smile on her face was a knowing one.

"Bye, Ben." Doug said, sounding like a lot more than his throat was sore.

At the sound of his name, Ben turned back toward his friends from where he stood under the doorframe. "I've never really given a speech before." None of the other kids had been present when he made his first proclamation. What he was about to say was nowhere near as thought-out. "I know… how it looks," He began, making Lonnie look down at the dog in her lap. The two of them knew better than anyone in the room. "and I know… how it sounds." Ben went on, failing to curb a sob. He had yet to tell them what he heard from the doctor. An edge entered his tone, and he couldn't tell if he was simply fed up over what happened, or because he kept crying about it. He had always been an emotional person, but now he had a kingdom to lead. He wasn't sure a speech could be inspiring if there were tears streaming down his face as he said it. What he didn't know was that those tears helped him break through to his friends better. "But from the second he got here, Carlos has been defying expectations. I don't think he'll stop." Ben's friends knew what 'stop' meant in this case. They knew then the doctor told Ben that Carlos may not survive. Evie cried out, and it sounded as if someone had struck her. Others gasped softly, and Lonnie looked around to see doey eyes and desperate hands curling into fists. As if grasping for something out of reach. "I don't think we should stop either." These were Ben's final words of the night. Meant as a reminder for the others not to become less of themselves in their friend's absence.

The problem was, they already had...

Thanks for reading, PLEASE REVIEW! I have TONS of ideas for this, so there should be an update soon (especially since my first chapters are always just introductions), but I'd love to hear your as well. Especially on characterization for the doctor caring for Carlos. Speaking of characterization, let me know how I'm doing with that for the others. As well if there are any spelling/grammar/phrasing mistakes. (I said 'call times' even though that's more of an actor thing because it's just a different kind of showtime.)

Feel free to ask me any questions or tell me any theories you may have. I'll update ASAP! =]