R.I.P. Cameron Boyce. He was so young and we will all miss him.

I had to postpone writing Part 7 because of Cameron Boyce's death. It was hard for me to look at the Descendants franchise after hearing of the tragic news. I wasn't going to cancel, but I just needed time before I was emotionally ready to keep going. Even now, it's still difficult for me to continue.

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Now with all that expressed, I welcome you to the first chapter of the FINAL part of my "Forever Wicked" series. It's been a long road and I still have a long way to the end. Enjoy.

Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.

I'd like to thank the following users for reviewing the final chapter of "Rise Up And Shine": DragonEmperor999, Anonymousnette, ChordOverstreetFan, Robyn, MaliceMalAmyMalevFaery

To Anonymousenette: Actually, I was more worried about ripping away the happy ending of the triple wedding by revealing the epilogue... but yeah, I guess I gotta chillax.

To ChordOverstreetFan: I have nothing against happy endings. But I've always planned for this to be a 7-part series, with Part 7 being about the descendants of the Descendants. Sure, I didn't have to make it about something so sad, but here we are.

Sixteen years ago...

Jay, Carlos, Lonnie, Audrey, Chad, Jane, Doug, Freddie, Uma, Harry, Gil, and CJ are escorted into the master bedroom of Beast Castle. Mal is lying down on the bed with her husband Ben sitting by her side and her best friend Evie standing beside the bed. There is something, someone, in Mal's arms. It is a baby, wrapped in a white blanket. A baby girl. She has blond hair, but with one purple streak. Her eyes are shining green in color just like Mal. She was blinking at them. They could've sworn that the baby girl's eyes glowed for a second.

"She's cute," said Jane.

"She's adorable," said Audrey.

"Just like her mom," Ben added.

Ben happily puts an arm around Mal and kisses her in the cheek before looking at their baby daughter again. The baby slowly falls asleep as she looks up at her parents. Mal tickled her baby daughter's chin, but the baby was too tired to react. Still adorable, though.

"Um, I hate to ruin this wondrous moment, but why is she a blonde?" Jay wondered. "I mean, shouldn't her hair be purple?"

"My mom started out as a blonde," Mal mentioned. "I guess our little devil here gets it from her grandma."

"Does this little devil have a name?" asked Carlos.

"Yeah, she does," Mal said happily.

Mal looks at her baby daughter again. Daughter. She really can't believe it. Being the King's wife and Queen of Auradon was unbelievable enough, but to be a mother is even more unimaginable for her. After many talks about "the next stage" of their marriage, Mal and Ben have finally made it to parenthood. The little green-eyed baby that Mal held in her arms, she is a new reminder of just how far she has gone. Villain. Anti-Hero. Hero. Girlfriend. Wife. And now, mother.

"Malevolyn Eleanor Fyora," Mal revealed.

Almost everyone's smiles grew wider. Eleanor. The baby girl's middle name is Eleanor. In honor of their late friend Eleanor. If it wasn't for the daughter of the Enchantress, they wouldn't be here to celebrate the birth of the King and Queen's daughter.

Mal lets Ben hold their daughter in his arms. It clearly made Ben so happy that they named their daughter after the one he thought of as a sister. She still lives on in their hearts, but Malevolyn now carries her name. And it's now Mal and Ben's job to ensure she carries the name the right way in the future.

"That's gonna a morbid story to tell your kid when she grows up," Uma commented.

"Uma," Harry scolded.

"Actually, it's kinda messed up," said Gil. "She's named after her mom's dead friend. Yikes."

"It's to honor Eleanor, Gil," Chad clarified.

"Guys, please, mind your manners around a baby," Lonnie pleaded.

"Little girl's gonna have one hell of a family to spoil her," Freddie commented.

"Okay, out," Evie ordered.

"You're the midwife, not their bodyguard," said CJ. "But hey, don't let me ruin this."

"Seriously, everyone, out," Evie ordered. "That includes you, too, Ben. Let's leave Mamma Mal here to rest."

Ben looks at his wife and says, "Just get some rest. If you need anything, just ring the bell. No magic. I'm serious."

"We'll see," Mal teased.

"I'll see you later then," said Ben. He looks at his daughter and says, "Both of you."

Ben kisses Mal, returns their daughter to her arms, and leaves the bedroom along with everyone else. Evie, being Mal's assistant, hairstylist, makeup artist, Maid of Honor, and the self-appointed midwife, ushers every single person who is not the mother or the daughter out of the master bedroom. That included her, so she shut the doors right after Ben walked out, leaving Mal and Malevolyn alone.

Now that the noise has ended, Mal can focus only on the cause of all this commotion. Her daughter. Malevolyn. Barely asleep in her arms. Mal slowly and gently rocks her to sleep, but she wants her daughter awake long enough to hear what she has to say. True, babies don't understand what anyone is saying, but Mal would like to believe that her daughter can understand her. They are, after all, not just linked by blood. They're linked by magic. Still, Mal took another moment to comprehend what is happening right in front of her. For the past nine months, she has been dreaming and dreading for the day that the little baby inside her would finally be born. And now she's here... and all of Mal's dread is gone. There is nothing but pure happiness.

"Look at you," Mal started with a smile. "Once upon a time, you were just a dream. A dream that I, at one dark event in my life, thought would never come true. But here you are. My sweet, little Malevolyn. My hatchling. Okay, you didn't come from an egg, but you are my little hatchling. Out of the egg and into the world. Best part, a world where good and bad both inhabit the same lands to forge everlasting peace. The kind of world I always wanted my own child to grow up in. Balance." Mal started thinking hard. "I wonder if the Enchantress ever told Fairy God Mother how she felt about this. Probably kept it to herself."

Mal shifts her focus back to her sleeping daughter. You are a mother now, she told herself repeatedly. The responsibilities that come with being a mother, it's a scary challenge that she now welcomes with every piece of love and courage inside of her. Peace in Auradon has been established, and her daughter - as well as her friends' future offspring - can grow up in a more normal way.

"I've come so far to get to this moment. The moment where I could hold you in my arms and call you my daughter," Mal continued. "And I will hold on to you, no matter how close or far apart we are, no matter how old you are, no matter how old I am, no matter where in the world we are. I will always be there to hold on to you. Always. That's a promise, and I always keep my promises."

Despite the dark purple glow coming from her arm, highlighting the dark magic coursing through her veins, Mal believes she has nothing to worry about. The little girl she carries in her arms is all the proof she needs that the future is forever bright.

Auradon Prep. 24 years have passed since the first set of VKs were invited and it hasn't changed much since then. Technology may have advanced throughout the past couple decades, ranging from biometric security to truly (near) indestructible phones, but Auradon Prep has been mostly the same as it first started. Sure, the equipment they use for their studies (such as computers and printers) have gotten more advanced to help the students more, but the interior is almost indistinguishable from how it looked 20+ years ago.

Headmistress Jane wanted to make the best of both worlds. To teach students to always look forward to the future, but keeping the school's appearance constant teaches them that change in the future is not about change in appearance. Auradon Prep has evolved by staying true to its image.

One of the students in Auradon Prep is a 16-year-old blonde girl (with one purple streak) who sports a very distinct purple getup. From the VK-style purple jacket to the slightly torn tights, she is a striking resemblance to one of the most famous figures known in Auradon. The green eyes, the dragon-shaped symbol on her necklace, and the fiery heart symbol on her jacket only make the similarities even scarier.

She's currently in her dorm packing up some of her belongings. Hastily, you may say.

"Who am I? Well, I'm no fangirl, that's for sure. This jacket was actually made for me. Made by who, you may ask? My mother. Nope, she's not a fangirl either. Okay, I'm just gonna stop beating around the bush, 'cause I'm new to this narration thing. My name is Malevolyn. I know what you're thinking. What kind of vile, cruel monster would give their daughter a name that sounds like the word malevolent? Well, that monster is my mother and her name is Mal. Yes, the Queen of both the Isle of the Lost and Auradon is my mother. That makes me the Princess of both the Isle and Auradon, but I am so not your typical dress-wearing, tea-drinking princess. I think my style speaks for itself. Mom's favorite color is purple. I guess I got my love for purple from her. But my mom is missing. Ten years ago, she disappeared without a trace. But recently, I found a trace. I guess this is how my story goes from here. I'm gonna find my mom, ask her why she left me and dad, and bring her home."

Malevolyn starts looking under her bed for something she needs. All she managed to dig out was an old hair dryer, a Rubik's cube (with the colors of white, black, purple, green, and golden yellow), a tongue-sticking-out emoji pillow, a replica of Jafar's scepter, and...

A purple plush dragon.

The plush had a collar around its neck with a gold tag that says, "My Little Hatchling."

"Mom used to call me her little hatchling. I didn't come from an egg, but I thought it was both embarrassing and cute. When I was 5, she didn't want me to be hooked to technology like a lot of kids nowadays. So, she bought me this stupid but adorable little toy. I called her Mally."

Malevolyn puts the plush on top of her pillow. She may be too old to play with Mally, but the plush dragon still holds a special place in her heart. She goes back to rummaging through the many things under her bed to find what she's looking for. Among the other stuff she found is a Carlos De Vil Funko Pop. Why do I hide so much junk under my bed, she wondered.

Suddenly, someone comes bursting in. A 16-year-old girl whose hair is white from the roots and blue from halfway up the tips. She wears a leather jacket where the left half is red with a black and white striping, and the right half is blue with gold beads and gold stitching. The half-red, half-blue design of her jacket spreads to her thigh-high leather skirt. As if those were not red flags that she takes her fashion very seriously, she wears blue platform wedges decorated with gold.

"Malvs!" She shouted.

"What is it, Carly?" asked Malevolyn.

"You missed Remedial Goodness class," said Carly.

"Well, tell Headmistress Jane that I'm not feeling well today," Malevolyn said as she continues to look under her bed. "Ugh, dammit. Where is it?"

"Malvs, I know what you're really doing. You're going to ditch school to look for your mom," Carly knew. "You know you can't do that."

"Why, because ditching school will land me detention for life?" Malevolyn replied sarcastically. "I don't give a damn about my perfect attendance, unlike you."

"It's not just that. This could be very dangerous," Carly said, concerned. "You're talking about traveling to unknown places with unknown dangers. You might not even make it back, and if you do, you are gonna be in big trouble."

"I'd rather have detention for life with Mom at the castle than not have her around for the rest of my life," said Malevolyn. Her under-the-bed search proved fruitless. "Dang, where is it?"

"What are you looking for?" asked Carly.

"My spell book," Malevolyn answered. "I was sure I left it under my bed. I mean, no one else knows where it is but..."

Malevolyn slows down and turns to her multi-color-haired friend, who is actually her roommate. Carly gulps nervously when Malevolyn glares at her.

"Carly, I'm gonna ask you just once. Where is my spell book?" asked Malevolyn.

"I... I... I-I don't know," Carly lied.

"Liar. You're lying to me," Malevolyn said threateningly. "Tell me where it is, and I won't have to shout."

"Malevloyn, you really need to stop obsessing over this," said Carly. "I can't pretend to fully understand how you're feeling, but I can see how much not having your mom in your life is hurting you."

"I was 6, Carly. 6!" Malevolyn emphasized. "She just left us without telling us exactly why. I spent the rest of my childhood thinking that she could be in danger or dead. And now, I just found something that she intentionally left behind. She wants me to find her."

"Maybe, but..."

Malevolyn darts closer towards Carly and gives her a taste of her evil stare, which she inherited from her mother. Those sinister green-glowing eyes, just piercing into Carly's soul, weakening her spirit and forcing her to give up.

"Okay, okay, okay. It's with Jacob," Carly confessed easily.

Malevolyn turns off the stare, but she shakes her head in disappointment.

"Just look at yourself," Malevolyn said, disappointed. "Carlotta Queen De Vil. Daughter of Evie and Carlos De Vil. You have their taste in fashion. You're one of the smartest students in Auradon Prep. But you don't have their pluck, their courage."

"I'm just trying to graduate, Malvs," Carly said. "You should focus on doing that, too."

"My Dad won't help me. You won't help me. No one will help me," Malevolyn stressed. "Now, I'm going. I don't care if I'm grounded or held back a year. I'm going to find my mother. Unless you want to stop me."

Malevolyn didn't need to use the evil stare this time. She just has to simply glare at the timid fashionista. Carly couldn't say a word. She just took a step back with fear and hesitation all over her face and body language.

"Yeah, thought so," Malevolyn sassed.

Malevolyn shoulder-checks Carly out of her way as she makes her way to find Jaycob. Carly couldn't find it in herself to give her roommate and best friend a strict talking-to, but she could do one thing.

She grabs her phone and sends a warning to Jaycob.

Jacob, however, was too busy hanging out with his girlfriend, Alesha, to respond to his phone. They were just having lunch together outside.

Jacob is the 16-year-old son of Jay and Lonnie. Like his father, he has the body of an athlete. He's a player on Auradon Prep's R.O.A.R. team. Add that to a face that screams "good-looking guy," complete with slick back brown hair tied in a tiny man bun, and his love for leather jackets, and he's your typical ladies' man. But he's a ladies' man who is also very attentive to his studies. A's and B's all over his report card. He's also got a particular interest in music.

Alesha, also 16 years old, is the daughter of Allie. She has her mother's long, wavy blonde hair, with the exception of the bangs. She wears blue coat over a white top, a light purple bow on her head, and plain white leggings. She's someone many consider "average" but that is how she wants to be. Studious, friendly, and modest. She does have a tendency to be overly curious.

"Maybe we can hang by the theater room after school? We can practice the bongo drums together," Jaycob suggested. He sounded less smooth than your typical ladies' man.

"Since when do you play?" asked Alesha.

"Since I was 10," Jacob answered. "We've known each other forever. How could you not know this?"

"I guess you're not so much like your dad, after all," said Alesha. "Which is a good thing."

"Good," Jacob smiled.

"Jacob!"

Jacob turns around only to get grabbed by the collar by Malevolyn. She looks at him very closely in eye with her own, making them blink bright green just to warn him of what will happen if he doesn't pay attention.

"Where's my spell book?" asked Malevolyn.

"I don't know," Jacob lied.

"Carly told me she gave it to you. Where is it?" Malevolyn asked again.

"Let him go, Malevolyn," Alesha intervened.

"Okay, stop, both of you," Jacob said. He looks at Malevolyn and says, "In my dorm closet. Under the blankets. I swear."

Malevolyn lets Jacob go. This little interrogation may have captured some attention, but the others students wisely stayed out of whatever is going on with Mal's daughter.

"Still fixating on your mom's whereabouts, huh?" Jacob criticized. "Let it go, Malvs. Just let her decide when to come back."

"You saw the message, too, Jacob. She's not certain about coming back," said Malevolyn. "But I don't have to waste time explaining to you. And don't even try to stop me from going. I mean it."

Malevolyn walks to get her spell book back. Alesha unnecessarily dusts off Jacob's jacket, which leads to an awkward inches-from-each-other's-lips moment, but they just laughed it off.

"She's gonna get herself into trouble," said Alesha.

"I know," Jacob said worriedly. "I gotta go see Carly."

After the school, in the theater room, Carly and Jacob hold a private meeting with their friends. They desperately needed to talk about Malevolyn's behavior concerning her mother. Since King Ben is strangely not doing anything about it, the two closest friends of the King's daughter decide to handle it themselves. Besides Alesha, there is also...

Hartley, the son of Uma and Harry Hook. He has his father's devilish good looks, sports ruffled spiky hair, and wears a pirate's version of the school uniform.

Christopher, the son of Audrey and Chad Charming. Perfect face, perfect hair (a luscious light brown in color combed to perfection), but his personality is famously considered far from perfect.

Emilia, the daughter of Jane and Diego De Vil. She's rather tall, has shoulder-length black hair, and is surprisingly a skilled swordswoman, proven by her part in the school's all-female R.O.A.R. team.

Rafael, the son of Doug and Yzla. An "average-looking" young lad with mildly combed black hair and a penchant for potions and magic.

Gabrielle, the daughter of Gil and Sophie. Despite inheriting her mother's beauty and her father's love of staying fit, she's a study-first type of student.

Florina, the daughter of Freddie Facilier. A mirror image of her mother, as she can either go from nice to sarcastic to downright mean to nice again at an unpredictable rate.

Javon, the son of Jordan. Unlike his mother, he prefers to live outside his lamp, but he inherited her attention for personal appearance, always sporting Arabian-type school clothing.

The ten teenagers sit in chairs set up to form a circle, making sure the gap between chairs isn't too big so everyone can really hear each other. Carly and Jacob want everyone to listen and speak as clear as they can, just to emphasize the seriousness of this discussion.

"Is this about Malevolyn trying to kill Jacob earlier?" asked Christopher, having seen what happened at lunch.

"She wasn't trying to kill me. She was just looking for her spell book," said Jacob. "I may have... stolen... it."

"And I thought you were not so much like your dad," said Alesha.

"Actually, she stole it," Jacob said, pointing at Carly. "I just hid it because she told me to."

"Mal wants to find her mom," Javon interrupted crudely. "Hey, I get that she's upset about this, but this has been going on for years now."

"Don't be rude, Javon. She just wants her mom back," said Gabrielle. "But Javon's partially right. This is not healthy for Mal. All this anger and impetuousness, it's just gonna get her hurt or worse. Even if she survives, she'll come back an even worse person."

"As if she could get any worse," Christopher muttered.

"Hey, uncalled for, Chad Charming Jr.," Florina replied. "Honestly, it's like your father never left school."

"Focus, Florina," Carly interrupted. "Malevolyn's gonna leave Auradon no matter what we do. I think it's safe to assume that her father won't do anything is because he's afraid of her. Afraid of what she'll do and who she'll hurt just to find her mom."

"And what's your suggestion?" asked Emilia.

"We go to Blackfire Island," Carly answered.

"What?!" Everyone (but Jacob) exclaimed, surprised.

"Malevolyn's got magic and a temper. The only way to help her is to help her find her mother," said Carly. "I know, it's stupid and suicidal, but what else can we do? None of our parents will do anything."

"Makes you wonder just how scared they were of Queen Mal," said Florina.

"It's been 10 years. We barely remember anything about her other than she's nice and mean at the same time," said Rafael.

"But she meant both in the best way," said Carly. "Look, Jacob and I have agreed to go. We're here just to ask, who wants to come with us?"

"Our parents are gonna kill us!" Emilia said.

"They might, but it's worth helping out a miserable friend in need," Carly said with utmost seriousness.

"But what about school?" asked Alesha. "Our grades, our future... is it really worth risking our lives instead?"

"So, that's it? No one is coming?" Jacob questioned. "Hey, Carly and I don't want to do this either. We don't want to get in trouble with our parents and teachers. We don't want to die as well. But Malevolyn is gonna risk her life out there and, just like her with her mom, we don't know if she'll ever make it back."

"What about CC?" Emilia brought up.

CJ Hook's daughter. Catheryn Cayley Hook a.k.a. CC. Disappeared two years ago, which was a year after her mother CJ disappeared. No one has heard from both of them since.

"We don't want to end up like CC," said Javon.

"Neither do I," said Carly. "But I guess you've all made up your minds. You'd rather let Malevolyn die than help her."

"It's not like that," said Florina.

"Then what is it?" Carly questioned furiously.

"I'll come with you," said Hartley.

"Really?" asked Jacob. "Is this about Malevolyn, or your dream of sailing?"

"I care about Malevolyn as much as you do," said Hartley. "To survive out there in the dangers of the ocean, you're gonna need someone who knows the ways of a pirate. My mom and dad taught me a lot about piracy growing up. I promise you, with my sword and my word, I will let you down."

"You know she's taken, right?" Florina said. "What's his name again? Jason, was it?"

"H-H-Hey!" Hartley stuttered angrily and awkwardly. He grabs his hook and points it at the voodoo magician's daughter, saying, "What matters more? The heart or the quest? The quest, that's the answer."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Captain Lover Boy," Florina taunted.

"So, it's just me, Jacob, and Hartley going with Malevolyn," said Carly.

"The new Core Four, am I right?" Jacob said casually.

"I can't come with you, but at least let me provide you with enough magic for your trip," Rafael offered.

"Thank you, Rafael," said Carly. "Now, if Malevolyn will let us accompany her."

After getting her spell book back, Malevolyn prepares to leave Auradon Prep and head for Belle's Harbor. She's gonna steal the Royal Speedboat (complete with a bridge, a bed to sleep, and space for her stuff) and use it to help her reach Blackfire Island. Why Blackfire Island? In her mom's magically encrypted journal that she must've intentionally left behind for someone to find, the final page mentioned Blackfire Island. Thanks to a map she found of the islands beyond Auradon, she knows exactly where to go.

She boards her mother's purple scooter, the one her father gifted to her before their first Royal Cotillion. Malevolyn remembered when her mother first took her for a ride on it. She was only 5 years old. She sat on her mother's lap as the purple-haired sorceress rode an entire lap around Auradon City. It was an unforgettable day for Malevolyn, for all good reasons. A simple, sorta dangerous, but wonderful moment shared with her mother, whom she loved a lot and who loved her so much. Poor Malevolyn was only 6 years old when her mother disappeared, and she never got to fully know her mother. But that's all about to change, should her quest prove successful.

Before she takes off, she takes out her phone and plays her mother's video message again. The message that Mal left for her friends and family 10 years ago when she mysteriously vanished.

"Hi," Mal started. "If you're seeing this, then I'm already gone. You don't know where. You don't know why. I'm just not there with all of you right now. Long ago, I promised that there would be no more secrets between us. Unfortunately, I have to break that promise. Where I'm going, it's a lot more complicated than I could ever imagine. I don't know if I'm ever going to come back. Because of that, this is where I say goodbye. To all of you. Maybe forever, maybe not. But I can't make any more promises. So, all I can say is... Evie, Jay, Carlos, you three have been there with me since the start of my journey and, despite broken trust and broken hearts, I am proud and happy to call you my family. That goes for the rest of you. AK, VK, whatever, it didn't matter. You were all there, part of my life, helped me in your best and worst ways, which I cannot express enough appreciation for."

Mal wiped a tear coming down her cheek as she continued.

"Ben," she said with a big smile. "I love you. I always will. From now 'til the end of time. I have never been more happy than to call you my husband. The one who always saw the light in me and made sure I saw that light inside of me. The things we've done together, no matter how far apart or how closer we were, I can never ever forget them. Thank you, for everything. Did I mention that I love you?"

More tears rained down from Mal's eyes. This "goodbye" was too much, but she's wanted to pour her heart out to everyone she loved.

"Malevolyn. Malvy, sweetie," Mal said to her daughter. "I'm sorry that Mommy has to go. I don't expect you to understand, but... all I want you to know is that, in our short time together, you have made me the happiest mother in the world. I grew up with a mother who could never show me the love a true mom showed to her child, but I wanted nothing more than to be a different mother to you. I love you, Malvy. My little hatchling. Take care of your father. Goodbye."

Malevolyn starts to shed tears as she pauses the video. Seeing her mother's face, it's just never enough. But hearing this message again after ten years, it hurts her even more now that she's older and not as happy as she once was. She knows that she's being selfish going after Mal alone, but all she wants is to find her and find out why she left and, if possible, bring her home. If she's still out there, she thought. No, Malevolyn, don't think like that. She's alive. I know it.

Malevolyn starts up the scooter and rides towards the harbor at high speed.

"I'm coming, Mom. I'll find you," she said determinedly.

And there she goes. Malevolyn is off to start her quest. Call her selfish for abandoning her family, friends, and school studies, but having found her mother's journal with a clue as to where Mal might be, there was no way she's going to waste time and opportunity. But as you probably know now, she won't be alone on this journey. A New Core Four will be taking the spotlight in this story. The daughter of Mal and Ben. The daughter of Evie and Carlos. The son of Jay and Lonnie. The son of Uma and Harry.

I may not have given the other kids of the Descendants some time to shine, but I could only do so much (describing their appearance and personality and showcasing them in that group meeting; at least try to get a good sense of their personality in even one line of dialogue). The other kids are just minor characters while the new Core Four were meant to be the stars of the story. Juggling too many characters has been way too difficult for me, so I thought dividing focus to only a few main characters would help me.

With my busy schedule (my FanFic schedule and my real-life schedule), it may take some time for me to update.

So, what do you think of the first chapter?