by Eric Geron
Ben nodded. “Then she should come.”
“Okay! Okay, great!” said Evie.
Everyone cheered.
“Actually, there’s a lot of kids who’d really love it here in Auradon. Kids just like us who also deserve a second chance. Could I maybe get you…a list?”
“Yes. Yes! Absolutely!” said Ben. “Please.”
Evie beamed as the the crowd clapped.
A guard approached Mal with her spell book. “My lady Mal.”
“Yes,” she said.
“We found your spell book below deck,” he said to her. “Uma had it.”
“Oh.” Mal took it and examined the cover, with its gold dragon encircled by a ring of Mal’s green and purple spray paint. “Thank you. Um…” Mal looked long and hard at the old leather book her mother had once used and Mal had been using as of late to put on the whole perfect-princess performance. The act was over. Mal was free to be herself, and Ben would love her for that. “You know, this seems like the kind of thing that belongs in the hands of Fairy Godmother. Fairy Godmother!”
Fairy Godmother stepped between the guard and Ben. “That’s me. Excuse me. Thank you.”
“This belongs in a museum,” said Mal, handing her the book.
“Yes. And I’m going to take it.” Fairy Godmother tucked the spell book under her arm and happily vanished into the crowd.
Mal looked at Ben. “I’m not going to be needing it anymore.” She moved toward Ben and playfully kicked water back at him.
Ben grinned and kicked water at Mal. She shrieked, delighted, and turned away.
When she turned back to face him, Ben was beaming. Mal took his crown in her hands and angled it crookedly on his head. She pressed her forehead warmly to his.
And in true happily-ever-after fashion, we partied into the night.
’Cause every good story ends in a dance party, right?
Before Mal knew it, everybody was splashing water on her and rolling with laughter.
Music began to play, and a feverish merriment broke out on the deck. Drenched, and with water flying, people twirled and boogied. Carlos break-danced in the center of the deck, then hopped up and danced with Jane. Lonnie and Jay took the floor, followed by Evie and Doug, and then Ben and Mal. Everyone crowded them, cheering and splashing them with water. Above, the stars twinkled magically.
Mal had learned in her heart that she was bold, she was brave, and she believed. She was done hiding. She had looked deep inside, and she was going to be herself from now on: part Isle, part Auradon. She thought about The Lady’s Manners and laughed. That was another book she’d be happy not to open again.
Mal and Ben embraced. Then he slipped his beast-head ring onto her finger. They were ready to face their future—together. They climbed to the top of the staircase overlooking the deck. Fireworks burst overhead. It truly was a happy ending. She turned to face her friends, and she and Ben waved to them.
Mal was lady of the court. She was perfect the way she was. Everyone knew it.
And most important, so did Mal.
There you have it—the end of the story.
The actual happily ever after.
Or is it?
The next day, in Lady Tremaine’s Curl Up and Dye salon, Dizzy was sweeping.
The shop was empty. Footsteps sounded. Dizzy looked up to see royal messengers enter, smiling in pale yellow suits. One handed a scroll of paper to her.
Dizzy removed her headphones, took the paper, and unfurled it. The Auradon crest was at the top, and a typed note with two handwritten lines was at the bottom.
Dizzy read it aloud. “‘His Royal Majesty King Ben of Auradon and his councillor Miss Evie of the Isle hereby request the pleasure of your company, Dizzy Tremaine, for the current academic year at Auradon Prep’!” Her voice grew louder and more excited. “‘Please notify His Majesty’s couriers of your response to this request. We’d love you to join us at Auradon Prep. Will you come?’ Signed King Ben.” Dizzy screamed. She hugged the royal messenger, who beamed. She screamed again. Above, her wicked grandmother banged the floor and shouted, “Knock it off!” Dizzy giggled and smiled. She looked over the scroll of paper again. The messengers turned and marched out.
She ran off to pack.
At long last, Dizzy was going to Auradon.
Not far from the Isle, Uma rose from the waves and looked back at the party boat glowing in the distance. She grinned. “What? You didn’t think this was the end of the story, did you?” Uma said. With that, she cackled and lowered back under the water until, with a single ripple, she was gone.
ERIC GERON is a writer, editor, singer, and actor. He is best known for writing the New York Times best-selling novelization of the film Disney’s Descendants, under his pen name Rico Green, and editing children’s books, most notably Gravity Falls: Journal 3. He was raised in Summit, New Jersey, received a degree in creative writing from the University of Miami, and now resides in Los Angeles. You can find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @EricGeron.
