Janessa's view

Since the party, Lucy has been a maniac with cloth. She made dresses for all of us, both coronation and Cotillion. I gotta say, I kinda prefer my Cotillion one, but my Coronation dress is still gorgeous. It's full of bright red layers, all swirly around my feet. I'm wearing my hair all braided up, courtesy of Dizzy Tremaine, and a couple of pieces of jewelry I vaguely remember picking out with Isla and Danielle a few weeks ago. (Janessa's Coronation outfit:)

But what I really care about is my ring.

The S one that Reenee threw at my head.

I'm still not sure what happened that night. I don't know what set Reenee off. I don't know why Mom and Dad haven't tried talking to her, or why Endora hasn't come to check up on her at least. I don't know why Serene was so furious about everything. My little sister is normally so rational, but she went nutsy-cuckoo that night.

But I do know that something feels different today. The energy feels thick, electric, in the long coronation hall where we're all standing in a group, admiring everyone's dresses or suits, waiting for Isla to appear at the end of the carpet.

Since King Ben's coronation was a fiasco, I can clearly see multiple guards all over the room, not to mention Aunt Endora whapping her wand into her hand every few seconds, glaring around the room. All the adults are on the left side of the crowd on the ground, with kids on the right.

Our friend group is together, the guys all looking pretty spiffy in suits and the like, and girls looking fancy in dresses. Lucy keeps reaching up to her shoulders to tug on her hair, but then remembers it's in a bun, so she just smooths down her sunny yellow skirt nervously. Finn is talking with Evan, Danielle and Brietta, both of the latter looking like true royalty in floaty gowns with touches of their own flair. Eleanor looks amazing in her fairy-like green gown, complete with leaf earrings and green beads in her hair. Evan keeps straightening his bowtie, looking around to make sure nobody is watching him as he takes out his phone to check how his hair looks.

(Lucy's Coronation outfit:) BTW she has the bandana around her wrist, and the daisy is her earrings. The gold flower is her necklace.

(Danielle's Coronation Outfit:) the silver bracelet is on both wrists, Wonder-Woman-style.

(Brietta's Coronation outfit:) 

(Eleanor's Coronation outfit:) She has her wand with her, too. 

Reenee isn't talking to anyone, but she looks amazing. She must've done something to her hair, because it's white instead of white-blonde, and the dress she's wearing is a bit odd, but it fits her small figure nicely, silver and trailing a skirt made of floaty material. (Serene's Coronation outfit:)

Serene looks up, and catches me watching her. I look away quickly, fidgeting with the ring around my finger. I know it's weird, but I wish Reenee hadn't gotten caught. I wish Aunt Endora hadn't figured out it was her tripping the alarm.

But what doesn't make sense to me is why her so-called 'alarm' went off when Reenee would go back and forth. Why would Reenee have bad intentions toward Auradon? And if it was going off with her, why would my parents punish her instead of figuring out why?

I mean, I get annoyed with Auradon sometimes. I even wish I could dethrone Ben sometimes, because I don't think he does everything perfectly. I've even occasionally (when I was younger) wished I was going to be Queen, not Isla.

Speaking of Isla...

Loud, triumphant music starts to play, interrupting my thoughts, and Princess Isla walks slowly into the room. She looks breathtaking. I haven't seen her in anything regal in years, and I've got to say... any doubts I may have had about Isla being Queen are long gone. I know for a fact that she's talked to her parents about ruling, and they took it in stride, apologizing for being so overbearing. They'd backed down, and Isla was relatively stress-free (minus school).

But back to now.

Isla's hair is pulled back, and it's only when she passes us, a nervous but proud look on her face, that I notice she's re-dyed her hair. Now it has some yellow in it, and seriously clashes with her blue-and-gold dress-cape combo. Her dress is a mermaid-style thing, with the cape pulling a few feet behind it. I notice her hands are crossed in front of her, rubbing on something around her finger. (Isla's Coronation outfit:) 

I squint, trying to see better. Max elbows me. "She's wearing her dad's ring!"

I look again and see, yes, he's right, Isla is wearing her Dad's Beast crest ring.

"That's awesome." I whisper.

"Right?" Max dabs at nonexistent tears. "Our little baby's all grown up."

Isla hears us, and glances over to smirk and wink at us before coming to a stop at the foot of the platform, somehow kneeling on the steps with her tight dress.

Up on the platform, King Ben, Queen Mal, and Fairy Godmother wait. Mal and Ben wearing their crowns, and Fairy Godmother's wand under a glass covering. However, unlike Ben's coronation, it has a shield of golden light around the cover. Just in case.

Slowly, while Isla fidgets nervously on the steps, Fairy Godmother removes Mal's crown, holding it high above Isla's head before lowering it carefully down and nestling it so it won't fall off. Mal is smiling at her daughter, and so is Ben. I can't see Isla's face, but I assume she's grinning.

Her breakdown weeks ago taught me something. Isla is a fighter. She never intended to run away. She came to me to talk her out of it. She never wanted to give it up, she just needed help reminding why it was worth it.

And that's why I know for certain she'll make an excellent Queen.

Fairy Godmother backs away from Isla, smiling joyfully, and Ben removes the case from her wand, the gold shield disappearing. Mal frees it from it's stand, offering it to Fairy Godmother. She takes her wand, coming in front of Isla again, holding it horizontally in front of Isla.

"Do you solemnly swear to govern the peoples of Auradon with justice and mercy, as long as you shall reign?" Fairy Godmother asks Isla.

There isn't a moment of hesitation. "I do solemnly swear."

"Then it is my honor," Fairy Godmother takes her wand and knights Isla on either side of her shoulders, "and my joy," Here, Fairy Godmother pauses, glaring around the room, as if daring an interruption like last time. I notice that her grip on her wand is so tight this time her knuckles are white. When nothing happens, she continues, "To bless our new Queen. Rise."

Isla stands, slowly turning to face everyone. Her smile is blinding, her hands held at her side.

"I present to you, Queen Isla of Aurad---" Fairy Godmother starts, but just as the rest of us are about to shout with joy for Isla, the room is plunged into darkness. People scream, and in the chaos, I reach for my friends.

"Max! Danielle! SERENE! YOU GUYS!" I cry. I hear shouts of fear all over, of confusion, when suddenly the darkness is leeched away, leaving everyone shaken and pale.

"STOP! NO!" Fairy Godmother shrieks, and it takes the rest of the room a moment to realize who she's talking to, her hands outstretched toward the entrance of the hall.

We all turn to look, and it's a gross understatement to say my heart stopped. I'm sure I blacked out for a second.

Because I can't be seeing what I'm seeing. There's no way.

Serene is standing at the entrance, Fairy Godmother's wand held high in her hand, a look of pure, black hatred on her pale face as Blake and Pitch Black appear on either side of her. Pitch is holding maybe two or three wands. I look at Endora, then Eleanor. Both are missing their wands. Jane is probably the last one.

"Surprise." Serene says quietly, her shaking voice echoing around the walls. In one fluid motion, she grabs the wand with her other hand, bringing it down hard over one knee.

"NO!" Fairy Godmother shouts, along with everyone else in the room. But it's too late. With an explosion of light, the wand snaps into two separate halves, and Serene drops them carelessly onto the floor. Pitch and Blake follow suit, scattering the remains of the rest of the wands on the floor.

"And now for the grande finale." Serene says, curtsying sarcastically. Holding one hand in the air, black shadows gather around her. She snaps her fingers, and they arrange themselves all over her. When they finish, she's changed. In her hand, she's twirling a thin, black wand with silver designs. Her dress is shorter, moving like ink, black like it too. Her heels are now sleek silver boots, high and laced, and her hair is colorless, braided on the side of her head. Her eyes are closed, with heavy, smoky-eyeshadow, and Serene's face is calm until she opens her eyes.

Serene's wand: 

Serene's dark outfit:

When using her powers, our mom's eyes flame blue. I'm told mine do that if I get angry enough. But when Serene opens hers, they're blacker than the blackest night. I can almost feel the anger rolling off of her, infecting all of us and making everyone look paler and sick.

And nooo, that's not even the worst part.

The leftover shadows from Serene roll toward Pitch, gathering around his shoulder. With a crack like a firecracker, something jumps in the air and lands, standing in a very recognizable human form with antlers. Or horns. Whatever.

I hear a sharp intake of breath from Aunt Mal. "Mother."

Maleficent spreads her arms, her scepter materializing in her hands. "I'm baaaack!"

"Not again." Jay groans. 

_____________________________________

*Evil wink*

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Believe me, there's something even bigger coming... mwahahahahaha...

I did enjoy this chapter, though. LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTY DRESSES!!!!!!!!!!! I also edited Serene's dark outfit together myself. It's not perfect, or even very clean, but I liked the look so there ya go!