Outfits:
Ruby's-
Ellie's-
❤︎︎♔♡︎𐬻𐬿★
CHAPTER ELEVEN
{ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛs}
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"ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅ ɪᴛ."
❤︎︎♔♡︎𐬻𐬿★
It was Ben's coronation today, and Ruby was finishing getting ready. Ellie had already left as she was riding with Andy and had to meet him to go together. Ruby didn't expect it, but Evie had made her a dress for the coronation, which she was glad for as she didn't know what else she would have worn.
When Ruby finished and was ready to leave, a knock was heard on her door. She went and opened it and saw Reggie standing there. He wore khaki pants, a white button-up, a dark blue vest, and a dark blue suit jacket on top with brown leather shoes.
"Hey, Reggie," Ruby said, smiling.
"Wow. You look beautiful, Ruby." Reggie said, making Ruby blush.
"Thank you," Ruby said, glancing down at her dress and then back at the prince before her. "Um...what are you doing here?"
"Oh, uh, I was going to ask you on family day, but you saw how that went. Would you like to ride with me to the coronation?" Reggie asked nervously.
Ruby smiled, "Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, Andy and Ellie are riding together, and so are Willie and Alex. So I figured we shouldn't be left out." Reggie said, and Ruby giggled, nodding.
"Good point," Ruby said.
"Ready to go?" Reggie said, and Ruby nodded.
"Yup," Ruby said. Then Reggie stuck out his arm, and Ruby grabbed it.
"Our chariot awaits," Reggie says, and Ruby laughs.
༺♔༻
"Well, if it isn't Mal looking like some kind of princess!" Snow White smiled at the camera. "Now, let's see who the beauty is wearing..." Someone handed her a blue index card. "Evie! Someone named Evie designed her gown."
Ben and Andy took their date hands as they walked up the stairs of the cathedral while the trumpets blared on both sides of them. Belle and Adam were waiting for the four on the stairway, hearing the crowd cheer.
The two couples approached the two, and as they did, Mal and Ellie bowed for them.
"About the other day...we just-" Mal said.
"I told Ben this wasn't going to be easy." Adam gave her a soft smile.
"You also taught me that kings have to believe in themselves." Ben reminded him. "Even when it isn't easy." He added.
"I did?" Adam asked, but Belle elbowed him. "How very wise of me." He said, causing Belle to shake her head softly with a slight eye roll.
Belle took her son's hands in hers.
"Ben, we are very proud of you. You keep listening to your heart." Belle smiled as Mal and Andy frowned for two different reasons.
"Thanks, mom." Ben smiled.
"You will make fine a king." Adam smiled at his eldest son.
"Thanks, Pops." Ben smiled at him as his brother was breaking inside.
Ellie squeezed Andy's hand to give him some comfort. He turned to her and gave her a weak smile, which broke her heart. She knew Andy was struggling with the whole situation, and she had no idea how to help him.
"Wish me luck." Ben smiled at Mal, then his brother.
"Good luck, bro," Andy said, trying to support his brother.
Before Mal could answer, two attendants came and offered his hand. Mal smiled at Ben before walking to the cathedral with Andy and Ellie. It was time the coronation had begun.
Other attendants at the main doors opened them for the future kings. Ben walked down the aisle as he did; the audience bowed for him. Mal watched the boys from the front row as Evie, Jay, and Carlos, who held Dude, looked down from the balcony.
Ruby was in the front row beside Reggie, his parents, Willie, and his mother. Mirana had told Willie to invite Ruby to stand with them as she was family. Something made Ruby happy to feel like she belonged somewhere.
Ben moved closer to the stage, but as he passed Mal, he sent her a smile. The girl smiled at him, but as he went ahead, her smile fell, and a saddened expression appeared. Ruby looked at the purple-haired girl, feeling sorry for her as she knew that what she was about to do would ruin everything.
Ben had walked closer to the stage where his parents, Andy, the Fairy Godmother, and the wand were waiting for him. Ruby could see that Andy was jealous of his brother but, at the same time, proud of him. She knew he would love a chance at the throne but couldn't get it.
As Ben got closer, Mal could imagine the parents cheering for this on the isle. Mal could even hear her mother's voice, making her gulp as Fair Godmother lifted the crown Adam had given her. Ben kneeled as Fairy Godmother placed the crown on the boy's head, making Mal feel more anxious than she was before.
As Adam lifted the bell jar and Belle handed the wand to Fairy Godmother, tears filled Mal's eyes. She looked up to her friends who were on the balcony. Evie nodded to them, so Mal gave Carlos and Jay the signal for them to continue as the four shared a depressed expression.
Mal looked back to the scene as they stared at the wand with mixed emotions. Ben was waiting to be blessed by the Fairy Godmother with excitement and nervousness. The choir stopped singing as the Fairy Godmother held her wand out for the boy.
"Do you, Benjamin Beast, solemnly swear to govern the peoples of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?" Fairy Godmother made sure everyone heard.
"I do solemnly swear." Ben nodded.
"Then it is my honor and my joy to bless our new king-" Fairy Godmother smiled before someone snatched the wand out of her hand, causing everyone to gasp in shock.
The magic wand was shaking so much that it shot many sparks out before it shot out a bolt of lightning that broke one of the stained glass windows in the cathedral going to the Isle, breaking the barrier.
"Child, what are you doing?" Fairy Godmother cried.
"If you won't make me beautiful, I'll do it myself." Jane struggled with the wand as it was too powerful for her.
"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!" Jane tried to cast a spell.
"Take cover!" Adam called out as he shielded Belle.
Ben ran over to Mal's side, shielding her as the sparks blew everywhere, causing fear. Andy ran to his friends, protecting them and holding onto Ellie. Ruby looked to Mal, who then rushed and wrestled the wand from Jane.
"Careful, Mal," Ben called out.
Mal won against Jane, pushing her away and holding the wand. As soon as they saw this, Evie, Carlos, and Jay rushed down. Jane ran off as soon as Ben tried to move closer to Mal.
"Mal... give me the wand," Ben told her.
"Stand back," Mal said as she held up the wand.
"Guys, it's okay, " Ben tried.
"We said stand back!" Mal shouted as she held the wand higher.
"I told you so!" Audrey stepped to Ben.
Mal pointed the wand to Audrey, causing her to step back while the crowd gasped.
"You're not with them, right?" Ellie asked her best friend, who shook her head.
"No. I was against the idea. I have no part in this." Ruby said, not tearing her eyes from the scene before her.
"Let's go!" Carlos called out as Mal stepped back.
"Revenge time." Jay continued as the girls gave a slight nod. "Ruby, come on." He said, nodding her over, making the attention fall to the Hearts girl.
Ruby shook her head, "I told you I wanted no part in this." She said, grabbing Reggie's hand for some form of comfort.
"You really want to do this?" Ben looked at Mal.
"We don't have a choice!" Mal screamed. "Our parents-" Mal began.
"Your parents made a choice. Now you make yours." Ben told her.
Mal looked around at Adam, Belle, Fairy Godmother, and Ruby, who shook her head slightly to signal to stop while she was ahead.
"I think I want to be good," Mal said.
"You are good!" Ben told her.
"How do you know that?" Mal questioned.
"Because... because I'm listening to my heart." The boy answered.
"I want to listen to my heart, too." Mal lowered the wand as she turned to her friends. "And my heart is telling me that we are not our parents," Mal told them. "Jay, stealing things doesn't make you happy. Tourney and victory pizza with the team happy." Mal smiled at him as he smiled back, and a couple of the guys from the team cheered a bit.
"Carlos, scratching Dude's belly makes you happy. Who would've thought?" She giggled as Carlos smiled at the dog. "And, Evie, you do not have to play dumb to get a guy." Mal shook her head. "You are so smart."
Mal then turned to Ruby and gave her a sad smile, "And Ruby. I can see just how much you love being here with your friends. You told us from the beginning you wanted no part and that your mother wanted you to live your life here. And I am so sorry." She said, and Ruby sighed.
"It's okay. I can understand why you did it." Ruby told the girl, who nodded.
"And I don't want to take over the world with evil. I want to go to school and be with Ben." Mal turned to him. "Because Ben makes me really happy." She held up her hand, wearing his ring. "Us being friends makes me really happy. Not destroying things..." Mal said. "I choose good guys." Mal put her hand out.
"I choose good, too." Jay smiled, putting his fist in.
"I choose good." Evie nodded as she put her fist in.
The three turned to Carlos, who still hadn't put his fist in.
"So, just to be clear, we don't have to worry about how really mad our parents will be?" Carlos questioned. "Because they're gonna be really, really mad." He laughed as his friends joined him.
"Your parents can't reach you here," Ben said.
"Okay, then... good." Carlos smiled, joining the circle.
Mal smiled, nodding to Ben and then to Ruby, telling them to join them and making them smile. Ben put their fist in first, then Ruby did, joining them. Mal leaned on Ben while everyone smiled at the group, seeing the VK's change of heart.
Just as everyone thought everything was good now, the window shattered, causing everyone to gasp. A green light had gone through the window before landing beside the five and the king.
As thunder stroked inside, dissolving the light, it had revealed Maleficent.