Author's Note: This is more than likely the last chapter for this story…maybe. But a few things to know about this chapter. First off, this chapter is in no way related to chapter two. They're each standalone. Second, I'm actually thinking about making chapter two into its own story and exploring Audrey's search for a sense of self, and how everyone treats her after the whole Queen of Mean thing. Third, when I was watching Descendants 3, I just felt the ending Audrey got was a little too…clean. I mean I know its Disney, so happy endings all around, but I felt that maybe a little complexity wouldn't have hurt. This chapter is the idea of what happens if Audrey had been stopped from destroying Auradon, but not gotten her original ending. It's a little, actually, a lot darker than the movie, but I honestly think it goes to a more natural evolution. After all, the whole idea behind the movies was that just because you were born to evil parents doesn't mean you're evil and can't be good. But on the flip side, it also means that just because you were born to good parents doesn't mean you can be evil, or turn to it.

Please enjoy…

I Want What I Deserve...I Want to Rule the World

"Come on, Mal!" Audrey heard the little VK brat behind her yell. She wanted to turn back and smack her, but her attention was focused on the dragon hovering above her. Right now, Mal was lingering in front of her, firing off a blast of energy from Hades' ember that she had aimed at her. She was firing off her own blast of electricity from the scepter, but she could feel herself faltering. She pushed back as hard as she could, but whatever was coming out of that stone was strong – stronger than her own magic. And try as she might, as the blue energy worked its way closer to her, creeping down, forcing her electricity back, she knew she was fighting a losing battle. Suddenly, she felt the ember's energy make contact with the scepter's dragon eye, and the blow back set off a small explosion of power that sent her flying back and falling to the ground.

Audrey felt herself coming to after…she didn't know how long. She was dazed and groggy. She looked around and everything was blurry. She closed her eyes, shook her head, and looked again. Still blurry. But a little bit better. She felt the scepter still in her right hand, and grinned for at least having that.

"Come on, we need to get the scepter away from her," she heard a voice – Mal's – say. Mustering her anger, Audrey slammed her left fist down onto the ground. A wave of green energy blasted out along the ground, like some kind of toxic tide that had been called forth. Suddenly, the floor beneath Mal and Celia's feet began to shake. They gripped each other for balance before finally getting their bearings.

"No one is touching my scepter," Audrey growled at them as she got back to her feet.

"Audrey, you need to put that down, this isn't you," Mal implored the pink, leather clad princess in front of her.

"This is more me than I've ever been. I finally have the power to take back what's mine, and make all you pay for ruining my life," Audrey said, the acidic vitriol teeming from her.

Mal, gently pushed Celia behind her and took a careful step towards Audrey. "No one ruined your –"

"Quiet," Audey shrieked at the blue-violet haired girl. "No one? No one! Well, you're certainly right there. No one did. Because as far as I'm concerned, Mal – your future highness," she continued, becoming condescending at the way people would one day be addressing the girl in front of her. The way she'd been addressed all her life. "You are no one. A nobody. You're NOTHING! But yet you're the one getting Ben, and the crown, and the castle – everything that should be mine. Well enjoy them while you have them…because I'm going to make you pay for it. You, and Ben, and all of Auradon are gonna regret ever leaving me with nothing," she ranted, ending it with a malicious cackle as a swirling, billowing dark pink smoke began to surround Audrey, and a bolt of lightning struck down on her.

Mal and Celia covered their eyes, and when they lowered their arms, all that they saw were a few dissipating puffs of lingering smoke.

"The immediate danger seems to have passed as everyone that was put to sleep and turned to stone has been returned to normal. But according to palace officials, the perpetrator, whose identity has been confirmed to be that of Princess Audrey of Auroria, was not apprehended and her whereabouts are still unknown at this time. What we can say is…"

The royal family of Auroria stopped paying attention to the newscast. Phillip, Leah, and Aurora looked devastated as they took in the news. When the earlier accounts started saying that witnesses were reporting that Audrey was the one who was causing all the danger, they refused to believe it. The idea of Audrey causing Maleficent level chaos was ludicrous. So ludicrous in fact that even the newscasters reported it as false rumors being spread by someone with a vendetta. But eventually, there were too many reports, too many witnesses to be ignored and regarded as false. And now hearing this confirmation, it was a blow that the Auroria's rulers didn't know how to handle.

"It can't be true," Aurora spoke up, her voice shaken. "It's not Audrey."

"I don't think the palace would put out a report like that if it wasn't true," Leah responded, hating the sound of the words as they left her mouth.

"I don't care what the palace put out, I know my daughter. Audrey would never do this," Aurora contradicted her mother. "Phillip, back me up."

"I…she…, I just don't know," Phillip said. "When it comes to showing her emotions, Audrey's always been good at only letting us see what she wants."

"Maybe, but my daughter isn't capable of what they're saying. She's being controlled, or manipulated. But Audrey wouldn't do this," Aurora came to her daughter's defense.

"Either way, we need to address this," Philip said as he picked up one of the phones in the room. "Call a press conference for tomorrow, we'll be making a statement about what's going on, and regarding the Princess," he told the person on the other end.

"A press conference? Do you really think that's the best idea right now?" Leah asked her son-in-law.

"Honestly, I don't know. But people are going to begin asking questions, and if they don't get answers from us, they'll start coming up with their own. It's better if we say something first."

"Thank you all for coming," Phillip said into the podium inside one of the castle's larger meeting rooms. Assembled before him were a small contingent of reporters, as well as several of his kingdom's nobles, representatives from the other kingdom's, and some representing King Ben as well. Next to him was Aurora on his right, and Leah on is left. "I know this briefing was called on short notice, and we appreciate your attendance. As I'm sure most of you know, recent events in Auradon City have transpired, and it appears our daughter, Princess Audrey, may have had a role in them," he began, every word feeling heavier and heavier as he acknowledged that his own daughter was the cause behind the recent terror befalling Auradon.

"Started without me?" came a familiar melodic voice. Phillip, Aurora, and Leah began trying to look into, through, and over the crowd at the sound. The attempt was made moot when the gathered crowd of reporters and assembled guests began parting down the middle, revealing Audrey sauntering toward them, scepter in hand. She stopped just in front of the crowd, but just before the steps. She looked up at her family, a sinfully wicked grin on her face. "I'm hurt that you didn't think to call me and let me know about this," she pouted facetiously before breaking into a quick menacing chuckle.

"Oh my God, Audrey," Aurora gasped at the sight of her daughter. Audrey was still dressed in her dark pink leather outfit and dark cape, the crown of the Queen of Auradon still on her ddark pink-haired head. Is that really my little girl, she asked herself mentally.

"Hello, mother, happy to see me?" Audrey grinned. "Daddy, Grammy, hi to you, too."

"Audrey, where have you been?" Leah asked.

"That's none of your business, really."

"Audrey, don't talk to your grandmother like that," Phillip admonished his daughter.

"I'll talk to the old bat however I want," Audrey spat venomously at her father. "I've spent my whole life being her mouthpiece, it's finally time she – all of you in fact – hear what I have to say."

"Would you like to make a statement, Your Highness?" one of the reports asked.

Audrey turned to look at the reporters, the fraudulent cheerfulness gone from her face, and she began eyeing them like she would a piece of dirt on one of her dresses. "Who said that?" she snarled.

There was a murmuring among the group before one of the reporters raised his hand with trepidation.

"Who are you to speak to me? I'm royalty, remember? And you…are nothing! You're beneath me. All of you are beneath me. You're not fit address me, so I'll make it so you can't," she threatened as she raised the scepter, and thrust its jeweled end in the reporter's direction. A blast of energy fired from it, hitting the one who spoke. He started shaking immediately, followed by grunting, and then screaming as he was engulfed in a green aura, and finally, began to shrink until his punishment became clear. There were gasps of fright, and a few muted screams of terror as the other reports watched their colleague get turned into a tiny gray mouse. The mouse sniffed the air, looked around, obviously confused and scared, and then, after looking in Audrey's direction, scampered off.

"Much better," she gloated, her smile gleaming.

"What did you do?" Aurora asked in pure terror.

"Really, mother? You can't tell? I guess when Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were handing out those gifts at your christening, they should've maybe handed out a little bit of brains, huh?"

"Audrey," Aurora whispered in shock.

"Audrey, you stop this right now," Audrey heard her father command of her. She looked toward him, her expression hard and impatient. She took a few steps forward climbing the first few steps.

"Stop it? Why would I want to, when I'm having so much fun," she told him with a perfectly pitched Daddy's Little Girl voice that sounded beyond creepy to everyone in the room. She then turned toward her grandmother, her face hard and steeled once again. "You never let me have any fun growing up. You were too busy trying to make me into a queen. All the good it did you."

The sound of footsteps marching into the hall broke Audrey's attention from her family. She watched as a unit of her father's guards, twenty in all, entered and began setting themselves between her family and herself in two rows of ten.

"Princess Audrey, put down the scepter," the leader commanded her.

"Don't hurt her," Aurora shouted to them. None of them turned, keeping their readied gazes at their own princess.

"Oh don't worry, Mom, they won't get the chance," Audrey grinned as she raised the scepter and pointed it at the soldiers. Immediately, they drew their swords and took up a defensive stance. "Men of honor, become like swine, save one for more, but make them all mine," she intoned, the dragon's eye glowing green and then firing off a blast of energy at them that began engulf them in a thick swirling green smoke. When it cleared, all of them were still standing, but now, they were twisted versions of themselves, their human faces replaced with the heads of wild boars. The only one left human was their leader, who now stood at attention, his eyes glowing black. "Better," she observed before she let out a cackle.

Screams came from the nobles and representatives as they watched the display of power. Phillip pulled Leah and Aurora behind him, shielding them from the one person he never thought would ever be a threat to them.

"Oh my God," Leah gasped.

"Oh Grammy…God had nothing to do with that. You're new Queen did."

"Queen?" Phillip asked her.

"If I can't be Queen of Auradon, well then, I might as well settle for this dump for now. The problem is, I don't think I want to wait around anymore for any of you to hurry up and die," she said in a sing song tone. She then raised the scepter again and fired off a blast toward her family. It struck them before they could react, and when it was done working, Phillip and Aurora stood motionless, turned to solid stone. Leah backed away from them in fright, and then looked at her granddaughter, no longer recognizing the young woman.

Audrey raised her left hand, the one not holding the scepter, and without speaking, lifted Leah off the ground. Leah tried to move, but found herself frozen as she started floating toward her granddaughter. Audrey stopped her when she face-to-face with her, but left her grandmother hovering. "I'm changing a few of the lyrics, but tell me if you recognize this oldie but goodie," Audrey chuckled as she took a step back and raised her arms wide, the scepter's green jewel beginning to glow.

"The former queen, who aged with grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her – except for me. But…before the sun sets on this day, she shall prick her finger on the point of a needle – and DIE!"

Suddenly, the scepter's jewel let out a shock wave of energy that radiated throughout the hall. Audrey then lowered her arms and closed the distance between her grandmother and herself.

"Audrey, please don't," Leah implored her granddaughter.

Audrey laughed at the display. "Begging Grammy? How pathetic. It almost makes you not worth the time it took to cast the spell. But, it has been cast so…all we need now is a needle." Audrey then brought up her free hand, and Leah watched as, in a puff of pink smoke, a needle appeared clutched between her fingers. "Well, would you look at that."

"Audrey, please…please don't," Leah begged, tears rolling down her face.

"Goodbye, Grammy," Audrey said cheerfully as she stuck her grandmother with the needle, pushing it through her clothes and piercing the skin on her arms. Leah let out a single, anguished pained scream before falling limp in the air. Audrey waved her hand insolently, sending Leah's lifeless body through the air only for it to land carelessly on the floor. She then began walking up the steps to the raised floor. There was a rumbling as a giant throne made of twisted gold lace began breaking through floor. She pushed the podium aside and sat down. "Assume positions," she ordered, and the boar-headed guards began taking positions around the room, some of them herding the crowd of reporters, nobles, and representatives directly in front of her.

"As for you," she said to the still human lead guard. She slammed the scepter into the ground, and everyone watched as he began to change as well. He was silent however as his body morphed from a man into a large, black and grey vulture. He let out a sickening cry as he took flight around the hall before settling himself on top of Audrey's new throne.

"Bow, before your new Queen," she ordered the mass of people in front of her. "I said BOW!" she screeched at them as she slammed the scepter into the ground again, causing the room to shake. Immediately, all the people began to drop to one knee, their heads bowed in dread. "Long live Queen Audrey," she gloated. When the crowd remained silent, she slammed the scepter again.

"Long live…Queen Audrey."