Archive of Our Own ^beta

She was a fairy long before she was a demigod, she thinks, even if it’s untrue. She’s always asked for honey instead of chocolates, and something burned inside of her whenever she tried to share or give gifts to the other kids. Her skin stung where it touched iron, and she’d never operated on the same level as the human children she grew up with-she was gifted in being bad, but she didn’t do the things she did for fun. Everything had a purpose, and she liked it that way.

Mal is meant to be a demigod, and there are certain expectations of a demigod. A demigod will always cling to their humanity, and will be so enamoured by humans that they will often either reject, defy, or betray the gods. A demigod will live recklessly and shamelessly, and they will often either be handsomely rewarded or severely punished.

A demigod is meant to embody the worst traits of every being that lead to their creation. They will have the vanity of a god, and the powers of one, but will have the brashness and emotional instability of a human.

Mal, however, is a fairy, and she is the exception to many rules. For instance, not once has she ever felt particularly swayed by gold, which everyone claims the gods, and therefore their offspring, are meant to value.

To Mal, there is something about gold that is so unbearably human. How is it any different from copper or silver? Aside from the color, which can easily be replicated, both by magic and science.

Regrettably, Mal is a demigod, and this becomes apparent the second she leaves the Isle-leaves the wards that protected her for so, so long.

“She screams rather loudly for a fairy, don’t you think?”

“Yes, usually they’re more dignified-”

“Don’t forget! She’s a demigod.”

“Oh, yes, she’s quiet when measured against someone like Hercules.”

“Heracles, darling.”

“His human parents called him Hercules.”

“And his real parents call him Heracles.”

“Stop!” Mal screams, trying to drown out the several voices vying for her attention.

The driver slams on the brakes, “Everyone alright back there?!”

“How rude,” a voice says, “We were talking.”

Evie crowds Mal, trying to make eye contact with the girl whose head is ducked between her legs. “Is it motion sickness? We’ve never been in such a fast-moving vehicle, I don’t think.”

Carlos offers with a mouthful of chocolate, “Mom told me to look at the horizon.”

Jay teases, “She also thinks that dog of hers is real, so…”

“A dog?! Where?!”

“What’s going on?” The driver asks.

“Oh, that one must be a DeVil. She was always so wonderfully wicked, wouldn’t you say?”

“Very talented. Good eye for fashion, though her choice in material…”

“Agreed. She really should have stuck with mink fur, like she’d been using before.”

“That’s not okay either!”

“Oh no, who invited the vegan?”

“Mink fur doesn’t get collected from the mink naturally shedding. It’s the same as what she does with dogs-”

“It’s not the same. If it was, you wouldn’t see so many royals, particularly Queen Ella or Queen Snow, wearing furs in the winter while she wastes away in prison.”

“The Isle.”

“I see no difference.”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut-”

“Mal, please don’t be mad when you wake up,” Evie says before spritzing her with the Evil Queen’s most potent sleeping potion.

Mal opens the door and firmly slams it shut behind her to block out the sound of gang activity. It’s the boring kind with pipes and crowbars because the guards won’t allow any more… efficient weapons.

It’s late, but Mal knows her mother would still be awake at this hour. Most fae are known to take great joy in slumber, because the dreamscape is something completely within their control. It’s a realm entirely owned by and formed by the fairy. Maleficent has been an exception to the rule for as long as Mal can remember, and Mal wonders if Maleficent is disappointed by her dreams’ inability to compare to the memory of the glory days.

Maleficent, like any other fairy worth her salt, can often be found making music with her body, be it by dancing, singing, or anything else. Mal, regrettably, has never been so in-tune with music as her mother.While she does become swayed by the melody and force of magic and life, she often can’t bring herself to do more than hum.

When Mal enters the kitchen, predictably, she finds her mother cooking something. The fairy’s voice lilts joyously as she sings a familiar song, “Don’t you wanna be evil? Like me?”

She’s feeling nostalgic. Maleficent usually only sings the song when remembering her own mother, who some had called “The Great Fairy” while she was alive. She was the woman who pushed and inspired Maleficent to become the most ruthless villainess in all of history. It’s thought to be the case that her proudest moment had been when her own daughter had discovered her True Name and destroyed her with it.

Mal knows this event to be what inspired Maleficent to use her own True Name so brazenly. A fairy can be controlled by their True Name, but the amount of people who know the name greatly influences how powerful that control is, which is why anyone who speaks Maleficent’s name can be easily met with a quick demise. In Mal’s case, any person who uses her name could enslave her, and only Maleficent (and possibly Mal’s father) know the name. It’s why it’s so important that she earns her name, and thus can claim it and decide how to deal with it.

While there is merit in Maleficent’s approach, there’s something deeply unnatural about it. Letting just anyone have that kind of power over you… it defies every instinct a fairy possesses.

“Hi, Mom,” Mal greets, making her presence known.

Maleficent ceases her singing, but continues to dance. “How was work?”

Odd. She never asks.

“Business as usual. I framed the cook for poisoning a guard.”

Maleficent laughs, “Child’s play. You didn’t even kill the woman.”

Mal says nothing.

“Oh, you’ll never earn your name at this rate,” Maleficent continues, unbothered by Mal’s silence, “You’re so fortunate that I’ve come up with the perfect opportunity for you.”

Mal raises a brow, “What did you have in mind?”

After explaining the plan, Maleficent says, “The others will help for their own reasons. Cruella wants access to all of the dogs in Auradon and the means to breed them. Simple enough. Jafar seeks to kill Aladdin and marry Jasmine once he returns to Agrabah. Evie would be entitled to the throne as well as the prince of her choosing.”

“We’re going to ignore the Evie stuff, right?” Mal says, knowing her mother would never promise the throne and that the Evil Queen is too dumb to ask for one.

“Oh, Mal. We’re going to ignore all of it,” the fairy sighs wistfully, “Imagine. Once I have my magic back, we’ll turn our backs on those pathetic vultures. I’ll be—We’ll be the best dictators of all time, and we’ll have had the pleasure of betraying multiple parties while doing so.”

Mal doodles absently on a piece of her acceptance letter, “Sounds great.”

“After that, your worth as a villainess would be undeniable,” her mother says, “Soon, the whole world will know your name.”

Mal groans as tries to block out the suddenly insufferable light. She wakes up in a dull cool gray room with windows lining one wall. The curtains, bewilderingly, are bright yellow with red floral print. Mal wonders if it would be cruel or merciful to kill whoever bought those curtains, and then kill whoever designed them.

“Oh, good,” a boy says, “You’re awake.”

She knows him from the broadcasts in the Isle. She’d watched him grow up through the King and Queen’s proclamations about the acceptable conduct and maintenance of the Isle.

“Your highness,” she greets.

“Please don’t call me that,” Prince Ben says, “You’re going to be attending a school of approximately 98% royalty. It will get confusing.” He smiles, so it’s clearly meant to be a joke.

Mal doesn’t laugh.

Ben clears his throat, “So, uh, we’re sorry we didn’t prepare you for… that. I promise we would have, if we’d known.”

Mal sits up, noting the dull ache in her head and the sluggishness of her limbs. She wonders if these are side effects of the potion or whatever happened in that limo. She glares at the curtains again before returning her attention to the prince, “What was that?”

Ben explains, “I only really know the brief description Megara gave us when she learned you were one of the selected transfer students. She suspected that you might have godly lineage-I don’t know how she would have known this, or who you would have gotten these powers from, but those with gods’ blood are currently struggling with the Underworld being destabilized.”

Mal reels at that, “The whole Underworld is destabilized and you guys haven’t done anything to fix it?”

Ben waves his hands in the air placatingly, “Hades will soon be returning to the Underworld. There was a mix up in scheduling, and he was in the Isle for longer than is recommended.”

“Why is he serving a sentence at all if this happens?”

Ben deflects, “It was the decision of Hercules and his family.”

“Heracles.” Mal says, remembering what the voices from before had argued over just before Evie spelled her to sleep.

Ben looks adorably confused by the correction, “What?”

“Nevermind,” Mal says, letting the matter drop, “Is that why it isn’t so bad now? Is Hades on his way?”

Ben shakes his head, “Fairy Godmother placed a muffling spell on you so that you’d be more comfortable while transport and containment is arranged for Hades. You shouldn’t hear anything that mortals wouldn’t hear naturally.”

“With her wand?” Ben looks at her questioningly, so she clarifies, “She cast this with her wand, right?”

“Uh… yes?”

Damn it!

“I wish I could have seen it.” Mal says, not bothering to hide her disappointment, “There is no magic in the Isle, you know.”

Ben nods his head in understanding, “There’s hardly any magic here either. It was my first time seeing magic at all, aside from a few enchanted objects here and there.”

That might complicate things a little. “Really? But Fairy Godmother must be using her wand all the time-”

“It’s actually part of a full-time museum exhibit,” Ben says, “I could ask Doug to take you sometime, if you’d like.”

“... Doug?”

“He’s Dopey’s son. He volunteered to show you guys around campus and help you assimilate to life in Auradon.”

“Oh. How… thoughtful of him!”

Ben smiles, “I’ll let him know you’d like to visit!”

“Wait. Maleficent’s daughter wants me to take her to a museum?” Doug asks, baffled.

Ben corrects, not unkindly, “Mal expressed interest in going, and I suggested she go with you.”

Doug isn’t convinced. He brings it up with Evie when he shows her to their shared chemistry class, where she giggles as she fondly expresses, “Mal’s such a nerd. Loves history and stuff.” She twirls her hair around a finger, “She’s so excited!”

“Uh huh,” Doug says, not buying it. She could easily wait until the next field trip, or even just until her next history class if she wanted to learn more about Auradon and how it came to be.

Evie turns to face him, eyes pleading, “Would you please go with her? She’d be harassed if she went alone!”

Doug winces. That’s true. Ben and his parents wouldn’t be around to split things up if things turned sideways.

“Besides,” Evie whispers, conspiratorially, “you’re totally her type.”

“What?!”

Evie hushes him, before elaborating, “Well, you’re sweet, and kind of awkward. You guys have that much in common, once you get to know her.”

“... Really?”

Evie tilts her head to direct his attention to the lockers on the opposite end of the courtyard, where Mal is vandalizing her own locker while Ben watches in exasperated amusement. Audrey says something to get his attention, and Doug is willing to bet his allowance that she had whined, ‘Benny Boo, don’t you know her mother spelled my mother? Why are you going so easy on her?’

“She’s an artist,” Evie says, snapping his focus back to Mal and away from Auradon’s power couple, “and really pretty too.”

Doug… can’t deny that.

“Do you want some gum?” She asks, holding up a bag of gumballs.

“No, thank you.”

She shrugs before popping one in her mouth. “Suit yourself,” she says, chewing on it. After a moment, she continues. “Give her a chance?” Evie beseeches, “Please?”

“Why are you so insistent on me pursuing her?” Doug asks.

Frankly, Evie is infinitely more similar to his type, but her lack of interest couldn’t be clearer.

The princess smiles, “Well,” she near-sings, “it would be Mal’s first real date. First dates require first date outfits and I, as her best friend, would have the privilege of prettying her up!”

Doug quirks a smile at the idea of Evie and Mal having some sort of makeover montage like you see in the movies. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea?

“Would she be free tonight at around 6?”

Evie squeals in excitement.

Doug doesn’t regret it.

Evie catches sight of Queen Cindy’s son, and she falls silent after a lovelorn sigh.

Despite popular belief, Carlos has had a pet before. He doesn’t speak of Pierre often, and usually doesn’t think of him, but it’s hard to forget the bird once Carlos has been reminded of it.

On the Isle, there’s an unspoken rule that the children will work as soon as they are able to. For Jay, this had meant learning to steal almost before he could walk, and definitely before he could read. For Evie, this had meant working on Slim’s farm by churning butter and cleaning the barn where his cows are kept. For Mal, this had meant working as a waitress at The Mad House for the Queen of Hearts, who usually played croquet or solitaire in the back while the kids ran the business.

For Carlos, this meant working in the mines. He wasn’t strong like the other boys, or as cocky as the ones who dealt with dynamite rather than tools. He was, however, small enough to navigate smaller tunnels, and nervous enough not to talk back.

They sent him into the new mineshafts to scout ahead. He was meant to measure the safety and profitability of these new shafts, so the others didn’t have to waste their time digging out a tunnel they couldn’t use.

They sent with him a canary named Pierre, who was meant to die if the mine contained toxic gases, thus warning Carlos to escape.

For so many years, Pierre had remained a constant companion to Carlos, and no toxic gases had been released within the mines, so Carlos hoped, foolishly, that it never would.

Of course, Pierre had eventually sung his last song, and Carlos had cried as he carried the bird out of the tunnel.

Carlos’s boss had offered to give him a new canary, but Carlos refused to bring Marionette to the mines, instead letting her build a nest in his backyard. One day, she flew off and never returned. He never looked for her.

Carlos, at some point, had gotten lost in the mines, and ended up in a room filled with what his mom would call “charming clutter” and the sound of barking dogs. Carlos screamed, and the barking stopped as someone stopped the record player.

The figure sits up from the couch, where the back of the furniture had previously concealed them from Carlos’s sight. Before him is Hades, god of the Underworld.

Hades asks, “Is the bird yours?”

Above him, Carlos sees a canary flying playfully in random directions. His chirp sounds too familiar to be anyone other than Pierre, and his body too transparent to be a still-alive Marionette.

“Pierre?” Carlos calls, and the bird swoops downwards, circling him and singing. “How?”

Hades says, “I’m god of the Underworld, kid. Everything that dies in the Isle can’t go to the Underworld until I do, so they stay here in the meantime.”

“So, I could see Pierre whenever I want?”

“Sure,” Hades says before continuing more seriously, “On one condition.”

Carlos gulps, not sure how wise it is to make deals with a god.

“I want you to tell me all about your friend, Mal,” Hades says, and Carlos wonders how he knows they’re friends, “and I want you to keep telling me about her every time you visit this damn bird.”

Carlos knows the deal is shady, and seemingly too good to be true. He knows, as Mal’s friend, that he should refuse and leave while he still can.

Pierre chirps by his ear.

Carlos makes his choice.

“Wait. You told him it was a date?!” Mal shrieks.

Evie holds up a pair of earrings next to Mal’s scarf. Close, but not quite what she pictured.

“E!”

“Yes, I did, M,” she sighs, grabbing another pair to try, “and you are not going to break his heart if he ends up really liking you by the end of tonight. You could use him.”

Evie’s more satisfied with it this time.

Mal growls in that way she picked up from her mom. Evie thinks it's the dragon in them.

“Don’t you growl at me. You know I’m right.”

“I do not.”

Evie rolls her eyes, “Well, at least you’ll be gorgeous as you shred that poor boy’s heart.”

Mal opens the door when she hears the knock. Doug, whose hand is still hovering in place from where he had previously been knocking, takes in the visage of Mal, who has been dolled up by the Isle’s finest stylist. “Hi ho.”

The breathiness of it makes Mal feel a little more confident going into this.

“Hi,” Mal says with a tense smile, “Are you ready to head out?”

Doug gulps and nods, stepping aside to allow his date to follow him to the carriage stop.

“Who’s that?” Mal asks when she notices a girl stare at them on their way out.

Doug turns to look, “Oh, that’s Jane.” The girl turns away quickly, flushing red with embarrassment from being caught. “She’s Fairy Godmother’s daughter.”

“Oh.”

Interesting.

The carriage pulls up to the curb. Mal prompts, “Shall we?”

“You look very pretty tonight,” Doug says.

Mal says, “Entirely Evie’s doing.”

“I don’t know if she can take all the credit.” He smiles, and Mal has to admit it’s endearing, though she doesn’t anticipate this date doing more good than bad for their plan.

“Thank you.”

“...” The ride is silent for a few blessed minutes after that before Doug says, “Evie tells me you’re really into history? What’s your favorite subject?”

Mal weighs the pros and cons before answering honestly, “Magic.”

Doug looks surprised, “Oh? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Well, I’m a fairy, aren’t I?”

“I come from a long family of miners. That doesn’t mean I like studying geodes.”

Mal laughs, “That’s different.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you grew up with that part of your culture. I could only read about mine.”

That stops Doug short. “Oh.”

Mal feels like maybe she brought down the mood a little, “I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have-”

“Don’t apologize for being truthful. I know that can be hard for fairies.”

That’s an understatement. While Mal is mixedblood, and thus able to lie, there is a definite vulnerability that comes with playing it too close to the truth.

“Okay.”

They’re quiet again.

“M’lady,” Doug says, holding the door open for her as they enter the museum.

Mal, not knowing what on Earth he’s doing, responds with, “M’lady.”

Doug laughs, “Not an Isle thing?”

Mal laughs, “Definitely not an Isle thing.”

“Auradon teaches boys to be chivalrous. This includes stuff like holding doors for other people, particularly women and elderly.”

Mal’s face turns thoughtful as she considers before responding, “Well, a lady could get used to this.”

She steps inside, and Doug starts to show her around.

“Where is everyone?” She asks while they admire a carnotaurus skeleton. She’s yet to see anyone who isn’t faculty.

Doug explains, “Normally, the museum closes about an hour from now. I asked Ben to request the museum be reserved while we’re here, just so no one makes you uncomfortable at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Evie pointed out to me that people might not treat you right if they just saw you walking free, enjoying a public museum. I thought you might appreciate a little extra security.”

“That’s thoughtful of you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Mal says, “I’ll have to thank Ben next time I see him.”

“He’ll just be glad you got to enjoy the museum.” He looks at the nearest directory, “Up next is the Merlin exhibit! That’ll be interesting!”

He whisks her away.

This is going to be a long hour.

“I heard Fairy Godmother’s wand was kept on display here?” Mal says after about half an hour of being dragged around this massive museum.

Doug says, “Oh! Yes, of course! This way!”

He takes her in the complete opposite direction of where they’d been heading. At the front entrance, he takes a left instead of a right, like he had when they arrived.

Almost immediately, she sees it.

“Woah.”

It’s suspended in air inside a ring of powerful wards.

“Cool, right? Can’t believe I almost forgot to show you!”

She might have incinerated him if he had.

She hears humming. It’s a familiar tune. She whips around, trying to find the source.

“Mal?”

“Can’t you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Is it the Underworld?

She starts walking in the direction of the sound.

“Wait, Mal! I don’t think you-”

Hall of Villainy glows in bright letters. On center display is her mother.

She feels fear coat her like ice.

“I’m sorry-I should have realized that the ward might temporarily weaken the muffling spell. Was it the spirits?”

How can he be so calm?

“Woah, Mal, calm down. Your eyes are glowing.”

They are? She can’t feel it.

“Is your magic acting up? You probably don’t know how to use it, right?”

She can’t take her eyes off of her mom.

“How did she escape?”

Doug turns to look. “Oh. Mal, that’s not-It’s a statue. She’s not here.”

The humming quiets.

“What did you hear?” He asks.

Mal’s throat threatens to swell shut when she says, “I heard my mother’s lullaby.”

“Oh.”

Mal nods.

“Was it like Brahms' Lullaby or something?”

“Who?”

“Nevermind.”

Now Mal can’t stop hearing it, purely because once she’s heard it, she can’t stop playing it on loop in her head. It’s the same as some of the Auradon songs the guards would play at the restaurant she worked as a server in.

Mal offers, “It’s my mom’s. I think I’m the only one who’s ever heard it.”

Doug nods, “It’s getting late. They’ll kick us out soon.”

“Let’s head back,” Mal says.

“I had a good time tonight,” Doug says.

Mal is quiet.

“I don’t think we should pursue this, though.” Doug continues, “I really like you, and would like to spend time with you, but only as friends.”

“Friends, then.”

Doug smiles, “Sorry tonight was so weird. I promise, I’m usually a better date than this.”

Mal laughs, “Don’t worry about it. Good night, Doug.”

“How’d it go?!” Evie asks eagerly.

“Wand is secured behind wards. I can’t get too close without nullifying the muffling spell though, and you guys can’t get past the wards without me.”

“Bummer,” Evie says, “we’ll have to figure out a plan around that.” Her smile turns mischievous, “But you know that wasn’t what I was asking about.”

“It went fine, but we both agreed we weren’t interested in each other like that.”

Evie groans and falls on the bed.

Mal laughs.

When Jay hears of Tourney for the first time, it’s while he’s got Carlos in a headlock and a hand gripping his hair, ready to pull if he doesn’t beg for mercy.

When he’s on the Tourney field for the first time, he doesn’t understand what the appeal is, or why anyone would spend so much of their free time on a patch of grass. He laughs when Carlos’s helmet spins on his head when he turns too fast, and he groans when the coach makes them both try out even after they try to sit out.

It’s not until the whistle blows that he gets it.

He has a goal, and he has obstacles in the way of that goal. Some obstacles wear jerseys with his color and others do not, but he keeps the ball away from all of them. When he runs, he dodges the discs hurled at him with practiced ease.

A thief learns to not get caught. A thief also learns not to get hit by flying whatever isn’t nailed down once he’s been caught.

Jay was definitely better at one than the other, and it shows.

Coach is impressed, even if Jay doesn’t know what rules are or why they have to be followed, or why he needs a team when he’s good enough on his own.

But, Jay thinks, he wants to know.

He keeps that thought to himself as Ben congratulates him and steals Carlos away.

When Carlos returns to the dorm that night with a dog, both of them quietly admit, “Maybe Auradon isn’t so bad.”

They both know not to breathe a word to the girls, or to their parents. They just have to enjoy this while it lasts.

“A coronation?” Mal echoes.

Doug explains, “Ben is getting crowned as king in a few weeks. The whole school is required to attend.”

Jay rolls his eyes, “Why would we want to go to that?”

“Will there be food?” Carlos asks.

“I think you would want to go, Mal,” Doug continues, ignoring the boys’ antics, “Fairy Godmother will be demonstrating fairy magic. You’ll be able to see it in-person.”

Jay freezes, glancing at Mal.

Carlos mouths to Evie ‘What does he know?’

‘I don’t know,’ she answers.

“Oh.” Mal says, feigning shyness, “You remembered.”

“It’s your culture. I understand wanting to learn more about it.”

Mal smiles, “Do you think I could sit in the front row?”

“Stand,” Doug corrects, “Unfortunately, the front row is reserved for Ben’s family and Audrey.”

“Audrey?”

“His girlfriend,” Evie explains.

Ah. Benny Boo Girl.

“Damn.”

Doug looks sympathetic when he says, “Seeing it from the balcony is better than not seeing it at all, though.”

“Thanks, Doug,” Mal says, “I can’t wait!”

“Change in plans,” Mal says once Doug leaves, “I’m going to try to get to Fairy Godmother on a more personal level.”

“Hey, Jane, right?” Mal greets the girl as they cross paths in the bathroom.

Jane blushes, “Uh, yeah. Sorry if I was staring too much, I promise it wasn’t because of anything weird.”

“Anything… weird?”

“This is the first time I’ve been around another mixedblood.” Jane says, “Even if your mom is, you know, it’s exciting to feel like you aren’t alone!”

Jane feels alone? She has a mom who adores her and no one sprays fairy repellent at her in the hallways. (That only works on pixies, but it clumps up Mal’s hair and it’s exhausting to spell it clean all the time.)

“I totally understand,” Mal says, “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

When Jane eats lunch with the VKs that day, chatting excitedly about fairy stuff with Mal, she tries to ignore the way her classmates glare daggers at her for her betrayal.

“Dude!” Jane scolds as Carlos’s dog starts to gobble down her lunch.

“Sorry!” Carlos apologizes.

Mal pulls out her spellbook, and her eyes begin to glow.

“It seems my food has disappeared with a munch

Please prepare a sizable lunch!”

A feast appears on the table. The boys, and Dude, immediately dig in.

Evie says, “I still can’t believe you need to rhyme to cast a spell.”

Mal looks confused, “I… didn’t?”

Jane explains, “Humans hear the spell in silly rhymes. It’s to protect fairy magic from falling into the wrong hands.”

“So, they can’t understand when I read from my book?”

“They hear intent, but nothing else.”

“Huh.”

“You’re so good at magic already!”

“I’ve been practicing.”

Jane can’t stand the way she looks. Mal thinks she can use that.

“Can’t you spell my nose?” Jane asks after Mal’s magic curls and lengthens her hair.

Mal feigns sorrow when she says, “That’s still a little too complicated for me.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sure your mother could!”

Jane sighs, “She believes beauty’s on the inside. She’d never use her magic to change my appearance.”

“Well, isn’t that what she did with Cindy?”

“Well, yeah…”

Mal says, “Doesn’t she love you?”

“Of course she does!”

“Then, wouldn’t she want you to be happy?”

Jane nods firmly.

“So, of course she’d help. You just have to ask.”

“You’re right!” Jane says, “I just have to ask!”

Mal smiles, “I want to be there when she spells you. I want to see the look on your face when you see your transformation.”

“Deal!”

Jane’s enthusiasm dies when she realizes that it’s after curfew and it’s definitely too loud in here. She whispers, “Sorry.”

Evie looks up from Chad’s homework, “I know something we can do in the meantime.”

Jane’s eyebrows shoot up in interest.

“Your nails are just tragic, Jane,” she pulls out her nail polish and starts gently mixing them up, “Let’s fix that!”

Mal groans, “Please don’t make me-”

“Yours too, Mal. Resistance is futile.”

“Don’t quote the guards at me!”

Jane flinches. “Was the Isle really that bad?”

Worse, Mal wants to say.

“We’re just messing around,” Evie says, half-lying, “The guards would say that when they played with the kids. It was Cops and Convicts.”

Mal smiles, “Remember when Jay used to call Cop?”

“Poor Carlos.”

Jane laughs.

“She said no!” Jane cries.

Mal rubs her back soothingly as she tries to formulate another plan.

Shockingly, it’s Jay who suggests the new plan.

“Well, why don’t we just steal the wand at the coronation?” Carlos asks, still playing his video game.

‘Killer Moves!’ The game says as his disco moves take out a zombie. Carlos informed them when he arrived that the game was called Dance, Dance, Apocalypse.

Mal hisses, “How are we supposed to do that when we’re practically on the other side of the building?!”

Evie had used her magic mirror to virtually tour the place, as well as draw up an unofficial blueprint of the secret passages.

“Well, we just won’t be on the other side of the building,” Carlos says, “We’ll use a secret passage.”

“There aren’t any passages that are close enough, let alone accessible from the outside,” Evie explains.

“Please, be serious, Carlos!” Mal says, “Shut the game-”

Jay says, “Well, why don’t one of you just become Ben’s girlfriend?”

“What?” Mal says, turning to look at him.

“There’s a front row seat for his girlfriend, right?” Jay says, “So, be his girlfriend and grab the wand while he’s distracted.”

Mal turns to Evie, who shuts her down, “I’m not doing it. You’re looking at the future Mrs. Charming!”

Right.

Mal groans, “This is so not fair.”

One love spell later and Mal finds herself subject to a very clingy prince’s affections.

“I’m so sorry it took me this long to work up the courage to talk to you about my feelings-”

“It took you a week. We literally met a week ago.”

He giggles, “Oh, how time drags on when you are separate from the one you long for.”

“Our lockers are a few feet from each other. We see each other multiple times a day.”

He sighs, dreamily, “Not nearly enough.”

“Oh my God.”

“I didn’t believe in God until I saw you,” he says, “because I knew you must have been an angel.”

“I was spelled asleep when you first saw me,” Mal points out.

He smiles, “Just like half of my aunts and uncles! Must be a good sign!”

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

He puts his arm around her, pressing his nose to her forehead affectionately, “I can’t believe you said yes either. Luckiest day of my life.”

“Ben, it has been less than an hour since I said yes.”

“And please feel free to take it back at any time,” Ben says, “You’ve made me so happy just with this much that I’d thank you for the heartbreak.”

“What was in that cookie?” Mal says to herself.

Ben answers anyway, “My courage. It’s the only way I could have made a move on you-Oh, you’ve made me the happiest person in the world!”

Mal slaps a hand over his mouth, worried that he’ll start singing again. “This has been fun, but I have a thing and I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Ben grasps her hand gently, removing her hand from his mouth to place his lips against it in a kiss before lowering it. Notably, he does not let go. “Only if you’ll agree to a date with me. How else will I be able to bear the time apart?”

Mal’s hand stings. One of his rings contains iron. “Please let go of me. Iron might not scar me like it would my mom, but it still hurts.”

Ben releases her immediately, rushing to apologize as he removes the offending ring and pockets it. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think-”

“It’s fine.”

“No, no-I shouldn’t have-Maybe we should take you to the nurse!”

“Ben,” Mal says, cutting off his apologies, “Yes. I’ll go out with you.”

Ben’s shoulders relax, and he smiles softly, “You will?”

“Yes.” Mal says, “But I really have to go, okay?”

“I’ll walk you to class tomorrow morning,” he says, dumbly, “and bring you breakfast!”

Mal says, “I’m eating breakfast with the VKs.”

“The more the merrier!”

Mal laughs awkwardly, “Okay! See you tomorrow!”

She runs.

Ben sighs lovingly anyway.

“Oh, thank God,” Mal says when she finds the section that says the spell’s effect will mellow after 12 hours, making the victim’s declarations of love far less frequent and dramatic.

Evie hums in acknowledgement before singing, “Have I mentioned I’m in love with you?”

Mal smothers her with a pillow, ignoring Evie’s laughter.

Mal doesn’t want to admit that this is the happiest she’s felt in a long time, when Ben arrives with a simple breakfast for her. “Jane says you really like honey-I know fairies usually like honey, but I didn’t want to assume-so I brought you some toast with honey, and some fruit!”

Mal doesn’t recognize the fruit on her plate, but it tastes sweet when she tries it, and drips juice down her chin that leaves her blushing from embarrassment.

“I didn’t hate you because of your mom,” Audrey says once Mal’s shaken Ben off for a few moments. “Or because you were a fairy, or even because you were from the Isle!”

Mal’s never met Audrey before. Evie says she’d come across as spoiled and slightly insecure, but not malicious.

“Uh.”

“I was the one who suggested Ben make this his first proclamation, you know.” Audrey continues, “He’d always felt bad for you guys, but he wasn’t sure if Auradon was ready yet. He was going to wait another five years or so.” She shoves Mal, “But you know what I told him? ‘It doesn’t matter if they’re ready, Benny Boo,’ I said! ‘If this is what you want to do, do it! I’ll be right by your side, and we’ll make it work!’ I was there when he wrote the proclamation, and when he announced it, and when he scheduled for the welcoming party, and when you all arrived-even when he picked you guys! I pointed at your file and told him to invite you! I told him that if you didn’t get an invite, then it would all be for nothing because surely you had it the worst on the Isle!”

Mal shoved Audrey off of her, “What do you want from me?”

“I want my life back! There’s enough room in Auradon for you to have your own life, your own boyfriend, your own friends so why are you taking mine?!”

Mal’s eyes start to glow, “I had nothing for 16 years. I’m not going to let you make me feel bad for having something for two days.”

Audrey doesn’t look scared. “Go fuck yourself, Mal. Your family stole my mom’s life-she was sixteen when she fell asleep, you know, and she’d never even met her parents. 16 years. We were even and then you tried to play the victim?”

“I’m not playing anything, Audrey!”

“Right.”

Audrey leaves, and Mal’s footprints leave scorch marks on the floor, even though she hasn’t cast a spell.

When Mal sees her reflection in her room, her hair is almost blue. She throws a blanket over the mirror.

“Your hair looks nice,” Evie compliments, when she returns to the room.

“I didn’t cast a spell.”

Evie nods, “It’s been a while since your hair was this blue.”

“It’s not supposed to be, Evie.”

“But it’s okay if it is.”

“I look like him.”

“And that’s okay too.”

Mal sleeps in Evie’s bed that night.

Evie doesn’t tell Mal how it feels now that Chad’s officially with Audrey. He was cute, and everything her mom would have wanted. Rich, royal, easy to poison, and… not a girl.

Evie’s had partners before, none of which were approved by her mother.

Mal had never been official, but there was something there and multiple kisses to prove it. Uma had been her first girlfriend, but her mom found out and things abruptly stopped. She’d tried dating one boy, but when she kissed him she felt weird and he wouldn’t have been good enough for her mom anyway.

She’d worked so hard this time, and things had been going well! But now he’s taken and a jerk since he got her mirror confiscated after telling the teacher she was cheating.

If it wasn’t for Doug-

Well, Doug was nice to her, and helped her study, and now she was actually good at school.

She couldn’t afford to think any deeper about it.

Ben doesn’t question the hair change when he wakes them both up with breakfast the next morning. Mal’s grateful for more reasons than she can name.

“Where are we going?” Mal asks as she sits behind Ben with her arms wrapped around him. The engine hums quietly as the travel deeper into the woods, never straying from the paved path.

She can hear his smile when he answers, “You’ll see.”

Mal tries to ignore the way her stomach rolls as the bridge rocks beneath her. She’s never been so high up—or so close to a sheer drop.

While she knows she’d feel less nervous if she was a dragon right now, and therefore winged and near-immortal, she suspects Ben might not want to have his date turn into anything other than a swooning damsel.

“Do they play 20 questions on the Isle?” Ben asks.

Mal is surprised, to say the least, “Auradon kids play 20 questions?”

“... How is it played on the Isle?” He sounds afraid to ask.

“Well, you take turns asking each other questions that help you get to know a person,” Mal says, “You usually play it when alone with someone you don’t know well.”

Ben relaxes, “Sounds pretty similar to our version. Would you like to ask first?”

“Sure,” Mal says, “Where are you most sensitive to pain?”

Ben doesn’t answer, but does look mildly afraid when Mal turns to look at him.

“... You guys don’t ask those kinds of questions, do you?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“I can ask the first question, if you’d like,” Ben offers.

Mal nods, thankful for the out.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Purple.”

Ben shakes his head, “The real answer.”

Mal repeats herself.

“That’s your mom’s favorite. What’s your favorite?”

Mal asks how he knew she was lying, but he reminds her it isn’t her turn for a question. She answers, “Blue, but white’s really nice too.”

He smiles, “Your turn.”

“You already know my question.”

Ben explains, “You swallow whenever you lie. It’s not super obvious, but you can tell if you pay attention.”

Mal swallows self-consciously, and Ben laughs good-naturedly.

“Your turn,” Mal reminds him, trying to ignore her own embarrassment as they travel further into the woods.

Ben asks, “What do you think of Auradon?”

“It’s…” Suffocating. “Nice.”

“Mal.”

“It is nice,” Mal says defensively, “It’s just a lot all at once.”

Ben accepts that answer, and answers green when asked about his favorite color.

And so the game continues until, at last, the two of them arrive at a lake, where a picnic has been set up.

“What is all of this?” Mal asks, taking everything in.

“Lunch,” Ben says, “by the lake.”

She rolls her eyes.

Ben laughs, “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Ben must have remembered how much she likes strawberries, because there are a fair few tucked in a jar inside the basket, and Ben doesn’t eat any. He eats something called raisins, which make Mal wrinkle her nose in distaste and lie sweetly.

“You can say they’re gross, Mal,” Ben says, “Most people don’t like them.”

“Thank God,” Mal says, “How can you eat those?”

He pulls out a bag and another jar. He spreads something creamy and light brown on top of the celery he retrieves from the bag.

“What’s wrong with that celery?”

Ben looks confused, “What do you mean?”

“It’s so green. Is it like the bananas in the kitchen? Is it not quite ready?”

Ben sighs, “I really worry about what conditions you guys are kept in in the Isle if you’ve never seen green celery.”

Mal shrugs, “We usually don’t even see celery. We usually eat different kinds of beans.”

Ben changes the subject, placing the raisins in the creamy brown substance. “Try them like this.”

He holds the decorated celery out to her to take a bite. Reluctantly, she does.

“Mm,” Mal hums, chewing and swallowing, “The raisins aren’t actually that bad with the brown stuff.”

“You haven’t seen peanut butter either?”

Mal looks horrified, “You churn peanuts?”

“How do you know how butter is made, but not know that peanut butter exists?”

Mal deflates, “Evie used to help at the farm. The more kids that helped with luxury items, like butter or wine, the better produce everyone else got to eat. Slim can spend more time watering and fertilizing the plants then.”

“You guys were pretty self-sufficient, huh?”

Mal nods, “The guards couldn’t work all of the jobs, and our parents weren’t allowed to work for anyone other than themselves. It’s why so many villains started businesses. It gave them something to do.”

“The Isle feels like a whole other planet, hearing you talk about it.”

“That’s how I feel about Auradon,” Mal explains, “It’s all so… perfect.”

Ben apologizes, “I’m sorry I didn’t get you all out of there sooner.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mal says, turning to look at the lake.

Ben asks, “You mind if I go for a swim?”

Mal shrugs as if to say Go for it.

“Ben?!” Mal calls when the boy doesn’t resurface after the previous 4 attempts.

Not even a ripple disturbs the water as Mal looks for any sign of her… boyfriend? Victim? She doesn’t care, because she doesn’t see him anywhere in the damn lake.

Mal tries to ignore how scared her reflection looks when she slips into the water to search for the boy.

The water rapidly becomes deeper and, as she begins to paddle, she begins to hear it.

“What’s the point of Hades being away if we can’t even speak to the living?”

“Quiet!”

“What? Afraid the fish will hear me?”

“No, fool. I simply tire of your presence.”

There’s an offended gasp, “That’s the rudest thing you’ve said to me our whole afterlife!”

“And you’ve never been more aggravating.”

Mal loses focus, slipping under the water as the voices are drowned out. Her eyes burn from the iron in the water, and she struggles to surface.

Something yanks her above the water.

Spluttering, she holds on for dear life.

“Are you alright?”

Ben, infuriatingly, looks concerned for Mal after all of this.

“No, I’m not alright!”

“Awkward.”

“That was kind of pathetic, actually.”

“She’d never be able to swim out of the Styx.”

“She wouldn’t need to. She’d be fished out by either Hades or Cerberus.”

“What about Persephone?”

“She’s not supposed to touch anything in the Styx. Mother’s orders.”

“That woman is insufferable.”

Mal covers her ears as soon as Ben sets her down on dry land.

“Mal?” Ben asks, reaching out for her.

She slaps his hand away, “Don’t touch me!”

Ben stuff his hands in the pockets of his trunks. “Did you get water in your ears?”

“They won’t shut up!” Mal says.

Ben stiffens, “The muffling spell…”

“What about it?!” Mal snaps.

Ben opens his mouth. Closes it. Changes his mind. “It must have worn off. Fairy Godmother is away to help transport Hades to the Underworld, so I’m afraid we have no means of renewing it. The Underworld should be stabilized by Tuesday.”

It was Saturday.

“That-What were you doing down there for so long?!”

Ben smiles shyly, “Oh, uh, it’s silly now.” He holds out a shiny rock that resembles an urchin but glimmers like nail polish.

Mal stares at the rock angrily.

“If you make a wish and toss this in the lake,” Ben explains, “it’s bound to come true.”

He hands Mal the rock. She inspects it briefly then throws the rock into the lake aggressively, “You think this is worth-I can’t believe I-”

“She really can’t swim?”

“She lives on an island.”

“Another trick then.”

“She does seem fond of those.”

“A fairy.”

“Or a demigod. Both love to play tricks.”

She flinches, covering her ears again. “Please just take me home.”

“I’m so sorry, Mal,” Ben says before taking her home as requested.

“Hey, uh, Mal?” Ben asks Sunday afternoon, “Do you know why a bunch of wishing stones appeared in my room?”

Mal is quick to deny it with a simple “No.” Ben doesn’t miss the swallow that follows.

“Okay,” Ben says agreeably, but resolves to ask Jane about it. She’s the closest thing to a mutual friend he has with his girlfriend, aside from Carlos and Jay, who he suspects wouldn’t know anything about why Mal would leave him a basket of rocks.

“Oh, she’s leaving rocks?”

“Yeah.”

Jane looks confused, “I don’t know why she would-I don’t think she knows what penguins are?”

“Penguins?”

Jane asks, “Did you, by any chance, give her a rock? It can be something small like showing her how to skip stones.”

Ben explains what happened at the lake. “I gave her a wishing stone, but she was mad and threw it into the lake before she made a wish.”

Jane laughs, “Oh, well that explains it!”

“Explains what?”

“She’s courting you like a fairy,” Jane says, “Fairies will give each other presents periodically to show affection. If a fairy rejects a present, it’s essentially equivalent to a break up.”

“Oh.”

Jane continues, “She’s left you presents to reassure you she was rejecting the rock and not you.” She laughs, “Mal sounds actually very romantic by fairy standards. Accepting food and gifts from her partner so early in the relationship? It would be scandalous.”

“How different from human dating is… courting, I think you called it?”

“Well, she’s courting based on how her mother would have done it, so it’s pretty different.” Jane says, “Biggest worries are gift giving and food. Don’t let your romantic gestures be too one-sided or she’ll feel possessed.”

“Possessed?”

“It’s a thing in fairy culture. You could, of course, offset that by making your relationship more permanent by fae standards-You do want to be more permanent, right? Or are you two still feeling things out?”

Ben’s love spell wore off in the lake, alongwith the muffling spell. He’s not as head-over-heels for Mal as he was yesterday, but he does want to give this a shot. She seems very honest, even if a little hesitant when it comes to romance. The fact that she spelled him only reassures him of this fact—torn between wanting to confess and being terrified to take the risk.

“Both,” he says, and it feels right.

“Okay.” Jane says, “So, you should offer her something of yours to wear, and ask for something of hers as well. It would be a good way of establishing a committed relationship without involving magic. You should probably stick with jewelry because it’s easier to wear every day than a specific headband or something.”

“Coming!” Mal calls out as she goes to open the door, “This is the third time you’ve forgotten your key this-” She opens the door to find Ben there, “Oh, sorry, thought you were E. Come in!”

Ben steps inside, “Evie gets locked out a lot, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah. Back in the Isle, she got used to her mom being home all the time, so she never carried a key around-Too easy to get mugged or pickpocketed, you know?”

“Every time you mention the Isle, I realize how fucked up my parents must be to have designed such a place.”

Mal shrugs, “Well, none of us VKs would exist without them, so I can’t complain too much.”

“You can always complain,” Ben rushes to say, “Please don’t hold back. You don’t have to.”

Mal looks puzzled, “Ben, it’s just an expression.”

“I know, I just-” He just what, Ben doesn’t know.

“It’s fine,” Mal says, “So, what can I help you with?”

Ben awkwardly spins his ring around his finger as he explains, “So, I know you brought me those wishing stones-”

“Ben, I don’t know what-”

“I can tell when you’re lying, Mal,” Ben says, “I don’t mind. When Jane explained why you did it, I was actually really flattered. It was sweet.”

Mal blushes, “I just-It’s what my mom said a fairy should do if they want to attract a suitor.”

Ben laughs at the image of Maleficent explaining this all to her daughter. “And that’s totally fine with me, I just ask that you meet me in the middle and tell me how you feel in addition to whatever fairy traditions you choose to follow.”

“I’ll try.”

“Okay,” Ben says, “Now, Jane suggested something, and I want your thoughts about it.”

Mal looks nervous, but allows him to continue.

“She told me that part of the reason everything is so weird right now is that neither of us knows what the other wants, or how they feel. She thought that making this relationship more official by exchanging stuff like jewelry might reassure us.”

Mal’s expression is neutral when she asks, “Did she tell you what that would mean in fairy culture?”

“Kind of,” Ben explains, “She said it was most similar to ‘going steady’ where you establish with each other and other fairies that the relationship is serious enough that you don’t foresee a breakup, but haven’t yet committed to marriage.”

Mal asks, “Do you want that?”

Ben smiles, “I want this if you do.”

Her face slips into an emotion that Ben can’t quite translate, but she sounds confident when she finally answers, “Let’s do it, then. I’ll grab you a bracelet or something so you can hide it easily.”

“Mal,” Ben says, catching her hand and holding it as she tries to walk past him to her jewelry box. He catches her eye as he makes it clear, “I don’t want to hide it. I’m not going to hide you-or us, or whatever you think I would want to hide.”

“Oh,” Mal says, “Okay.”

Ben lets her go to pick out a bracelet for him.

“Ben, I can’t wear this,” Mal says when he tries to give her his family ring.

Ben insists, “I want you to have it.”

“You can’t.”

Ben takes her hand, “I’m here because I love you, Mal.” It’s the first time he’s said it without the spell, but it feels just as natural without. He loves her. It’s why he doesn’t mind that she spelled him, and why he doesn’t care who her parents are, and why things feel more effortless than they ever did with Audrey. “If you want to run away from this, that’s okay. Just say the word and this is all over. Until then, I want to do everything to convince you that you’re who I want beside me. I want you to wear this ring because I want you to know I love you.”

“We’ve known each other for a few weeks, Ben,” Mal argues, weakly, “I can’t-”

“Please?” Ben says, “I want you to say no if you don’t want this, but don’t say no because you want to protect me, or you think that someone better might come along.”

Mal is quiet, but eventually, she relents.

“Please don’t kiss me,” Mal says, sounding pained as Ben leans in after exchanging jewelry.

Ben backs off, “Sorry, I guess I misread that. I’ll ask next time-”

“You didn’t—” Mal takes a deep breath, “You didn’t misread.”

Ben isn’t sure what to make of that.

“You’d give your kingdom for just one kiss. You said that.”

Ben freezes, understanding immediately, “That counts as a promise?”

Mal’s face does something complicated before she confirms, “I felt the magic seal it even before you finished the sentence.”

“Oh.”

Mal nods, “I can’t… I won’t make that choice for you. I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I-Mal,” Ben doesn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay. This is enough for now, right? Why worry about a hurdle before we reach it?”

Ben nods, but says again, “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, Bunny!” Chad calls out as Mal makes her way to Remedial Goodness.

Mal ignores it, wondering which Royal named their kid Bunny. She had met a girl named Fawn at one of the Tourney matches, so it must be pretty common to name children after animals in Auradon. Does Gil count as an animal-esque name? Gil? Gill?

“Bunny? Wasn’t there some witch girl named Bunny a few centuries back?”

“Her name was Sunny.”

“I thought she was an enchantress?”

“Yes, but the nuances of magical folk are a little too complex for this one.”

“Hey!”

“Hey, Fairy, I’m talking to you!”

That catches Mal’s attention. Even if she’s not the only mixedblood, she’s the only one the Auradon kids feel comfortable calling Fairy with the same venom of a poisoned apple. She turns to face Chad, who is stalking over to her.

“Uh, hi?” She says, not sure what’s got him so worked up this time. Normally he sprayed her with fairy repellant and moved on with his life.

He says, “I heard from a cousin of mine about your little date with Doug.”

Mal, again, is confused, “Uh, it wasn’t exactly a secret?”

“Maybe not,” Chad says, “but the whole school’s onto you.”

“Onto what?” Mal says, getting impatient. Just because she is up to something, that doesn’t mean Doug has anything to do with that.

So what if the date had been Evie’s idea? So what if it was all to scope out a wand? She’s not using him right now.

Chad asks, “You ever heard of a Playboy Bunny?”

“Yeah. That’s one of the few things that’s universal.”

He grins, “So you admit it?”

“Admit what?!”

“You’re playing the field and sleeping your way into Auradon’s good graces,” Chad says, “Go on and admit it. You’ll feel better.”

“Sleeping my-”

He interrupts, “First, you slept with Doug. He’s not exactly popular, but people like Doug. They trust him. He’s lonely and dorky enough that he made a perfect test run.” He continues, “Then you went after Jane, who is the most vocal bisexual girl in the whole school.”

“You think I slept with either of them?”

“Even if you didn’t,” Chad says, “You seduced them in every other way. Did you think you would get away with it three times?”

“Hm, he’s got a point.”

“She only dated two of them though.”

“That’s hardly relevant when she spelled one of them and lied to all three of them.”

“She DID only talk to them when she wanted something from them. When was the last she talked to Doug?”

“She talked to him yesterday, I think.”

“You think?”

“Well, unlike you, I don’t just follow her around!”

Mal realizes she’s been distracted by the spirits for too long, and Chad had mistaken her silence for an admission of guilt, “I didn’t-”

“My anger with you runs deep

This mistake will be your last

Send this creep off to sleep!”

Chad yawns before lying down for a nap in the hall, and Mal whirls to see who cast the spell, because she knows the spirits didn’t, even if they speak with a similar tone.

“Jane!” Mal says, shocked to see the other fairy standing there.

Jane smiles, “Did you think I’d let him lie about you like that?”

“Jane, you need to wake him up!”

Mal hears the other Auradon kids start to whisper and look suspicious.

Jane rolls her eyes, “He’s fine. Either Audrey will wake him up or they’ll call his family in and they will.”

“Jane, that's not-Wake him up.”

Jane starts to look annoyed now, “No. I stand up for my friends.”

The bell rings, and everyone starts to rush to class.

‘Bunny’ is painted in bold red letters on her locker over her artwork. It’s written several times, and seemingly by different people if the paint strokes and writing style are anything to go by.

When Ben asks about it, Mal refuses to explain.

“Mallantha,” a voice calls, causing Mal to startle into awareness.

When she catches sight of the speaker, it’s a beautiful woman with tight curly hair. Freckles stretch across her nose like a bridge, and in her hands is a bouquet of sunflowers.

Mal doesn’t recognize her, but does know that the woman was addressing her. “That’s not my name.”

The woman laughs as if Mal has told a joke, “Maybe not the name your mother gave you, but it’s your true name, and I suspect you knew it as soon as I said it.”

The woman’s right, in a terrifying way. Mal had been pulled to this woman from whatever dream had previously contained her upon the name’s utterance. This is something a fairy is meant to experience when their true name is called.

“That’s not my name,” Mal says, to save face, “I was named after my mother.”

The woman snorts, “Is that really what that woman told you? How did you ever believe her? Even her saying it would prove it false.”

“I-” Mal realises with horror, “She says I won’t earn being called by my name until I prove myself as a villain.”

The woman hums, “Is that why you’re doing this, then? A fairy’s true name is very precious, so I wouldn’t blame you if so.”

“That’s not why I’m doing this,” Mal insists, futilely, “I’m a villain. This is just me showing the whole world.”

The woman nods, humoring her. She waves a hand over the area behind her, and a bed of grass springs up. It grows and grows until it dries out, becoming neatly bound hay bales. “Sit with me?” She sits gracefully, leaving room for Mal to sit beside her.

“You didn’t cast a spell.”

The woman laughs, “Oh, Mal,” she says fondly, “Why would a god need a spell?”

Mal takes a seat, saying nothing. It only confirmed what she already suspected.

“I’ve wanted to meet you for so long,” Persephone says, “Your hair is so similar to your father’s when he was your age. He lightened it when he married me, you know? He didn’t want everyone thinking he was so dark all of the time.”

Mal asks, “Why are you here?”

“I just said,” Persephone says, “I’ve wanted to meet you. Carlos told your father so much about you, and he told me, but that’s hardly enough when you’re the closest thing I have to a daughter.”

“Carlos?!”

“Is something the matter?”

Mal says, “He doesn’t know Hades is my dad. Only Evie does.”

Persephone understands, “Ah. Well, we don’t have to talk about him, if you don’t want to. He’d rather talk to you himself rather than me talk for him.”

Mal doesn’t know how she’s supposed to react, or how she’s supposed to feel.

“I’d rather talk about you, Mal,” Persephone continues, “How’s school?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

Persephone looks confused, “Mal, your mother shouldn’t need a reason to be nice.”

“You’re not my mom!”

“No, but I’d like to be.”

“He cheated on you.”

Persephone waves it off, “We have an open relationship. The main reason he even agreed to have you with that fairy is so I’d have a daughter.”

Mal is floored.

“Mother forbids me from having children with Hades,” she explains, “and my other lover is already deceased. Hades did what he could to make me happy. He really is the most amazing husband.”

“You’re… the whole reason I exist?”

Persephone tilts her head thoughtfully, “Well, I imagine you would have found a reason to exist anyway. You simply wouldn’t exist as you are now.”

Mal doesn’t know how to process that, but instead she answers the previous question, “School is school. I can’t really say much else about it.”

Persephone looks pleased, “And Auradon? Are they treating you well?”

“I think you already know,” Mal says, “You sent Megara to warn me, even though she hates my father, and the spirits speak fondly of you.”

“Smart girl,” Persephone praises, “The spirits are quite talkative, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to confide in me.”

Mal says, “What’s the difference?”

“Everything. How am I supposed to know if you’re happy? Or upset? Or frustrated? Spirits can’t know that, especially when you try to hide yourself away.”

“I’m not hiding.”

Persephone looks a little pitying when she accepts that answer, “Alright, but please consider this advice. I only really found happiness when I was able to pursue what I wanted, free from my family’s expectations of me. I found that happiness with your father, but I easily could have found that happiness anywhere else.” She places a hand on Mal’s shoulder, “Don’t let anything get between you and what you want, even if what you want isn’t what you previously thought, or you’re worried you’ll let people down.”

Tuesday arrives at last, and Mal is grateful when she wakes up to silence.

Well, near-silence. Evie snores in the bed opposite her and birds chirp outside.

Carlos DeVil is 14 (and nearly too large to continue working as a scout in the mines, and entirely too terrified to work in demolition or excavation like his coworkers) when Hades returns Pierre’s soul to the Underworld, but Carlos finds other reasons to return to Hades's (honestly pitiful) dominion. The god was actually pretty cool, in the way that he imagines a normal dad would be. He listens to old music on a record player (or recordings of Cerberus's bark, when he feels homesick, but Carlos pretends not to notice) and styles his hair in a way that is reminiscent of the eighties, even though his mood fluctuates enough that his hair catches fire most days, ruining his work. He tells jokes that make people laugh, but only because they're surprised he went for such a low-brow joke.

"Hey, Kid!" The god calls from his old armchair (throne, the god insists). The thing is covered in gaudy blue and pink florals, and Carlos feels like Evie would find it “charming” if her taste wasn't quite so... expensive.

Carlos plops himself down on the faded striped couch, which sprays a cloud of dust into the air, prompting Carlos to cough and sneeze before joking, "Did I interrupt your naptime?"

"Shut up. Some kingdoms make naps mandatory." The god says, even though he does not sound annoyed OR tired, "Coincidentally, the people within those kingdoms are far happier."

"Uh huh," Carlos says, humoring Hades.

Hades throws a towel at Carlos, who laughs. The god grumbles, "Oh, har har. The one perk of this damn Isle is the fact that I have so much spare time. Whenever I return to the Underworld, it's a mad scramble to fix Pain, Panic, and Thanatos's fuck ups."

"I'm 14, you aren't allowed to curse."

"Kid, this is the Isle," Hades says, "Who the fuck cares about cursing?"

Carlos shrugs, "Mom says kids shouldn't be exposed to cursing."

"Your mom thinks that dog of hers is real," Hades points out.

"Fair," Carlos says, though he's heard that argument a million times and he knows he'll hear it a million more if Jay has anything to say about it.

Hades isn't one to beat around the bush, "So, whatcha got?"

Carlos says, "Mal and Evie are kind of pining for one another."

"Called it."

"I know, right? Anyway, they've kissed a couple times, but Evie's mom is homophobic and Mal thinks feelings are counterproductive to achieving true villainy, so I have to listen to both of them wax poetic about how pretty the other one is, and how smart, and how absolutely wicked-"

Hades cuts him off, "I get the point."

"Right," Carlos says, focusing, "So Mal's distracting herself by planning a heist."

"Oh? A heist?"

Carlos nods, "Yeah, she's planning on robbing the bank."

Hades raises a brow, "She's distracting herself by committing one of the most ambitious crimes of the Isle's history?"

"Maleficent is very proud."

"Shit, I am too." Hades says.

Carlos is confused, "Look, I don't mind telling you things about Mal sometimes, but I really don't get you."

"She's thinking like a god," Hades explains, "Making other people miserable to feel accomplished."

That's when Carlos gets it.

"Oh."

"Don't you go telling anyone I said that," Hades says, and Carlos knows that the god MEANT for Carlos to figure it out.

Carlos nods, "Well, she plans to rob the place with Jay while I act as bait."

Hades snorts, "You are ridiculous enough to attract attention."

"Hey!"

"I think you've earned your weekly culture lesson," Hades says, dodging the statue Carlos flings at him. "Hey! Watch the karaoke trophy!"

"Oh my god you've done competitive karaoke."

Hades glares, "Just start the music. I prepared a real treat for you today."

Carlos obeys, excited to see what Hades managed to smuggle from Auradon this time.

The record player makes a violent sound in protest before figuring itself out. Pleasant piano plays, and Carlos isn't sure why Hades would select a song like this, when they usually both gravitate to rock or metal. Then, the singer begins to make themself known, and Carlos gets it.

"Cruella DeVil," The singer croons, "Cruella DeVil. If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will~"

"Does she know about this?" Carlos asks as the music continues to play.

Hades grins, "Know about it? Roger wrote it even before her arrest."

Carlos laughs, "Oh my god!"

"Make sure to hum it around her when you want to rile her up," Hades says, "Should be good for a laugh."

Carlos laughs, imagining the woman's possibly explosive reaction. "You know, Hades, I think you'd make a pretty good dad."

Hades's smile drops, but Carlos gets the feeling he said the right thing, "Well, I'd better hope so. Persephone wants kids."

"How is she, by the way?"

Hades's face lights up as he talks animatedly about his wife. Carlos wonders, for a moment, how this god could have looked at any other woman when he loves his wife so much, but he knows he's certainly no expert in relationships. He's fourteen.

Carlos DeVil is 14 when he learns his best friend's greatest secret, and he doesn't even know if Mal knows the secret herself. He never asks, because it changes nothing.

"Ben," Evie says, stepping into his room just before curfew, "I'm worried about Mal." Normally, she'd never go to an outsider about something like this, because she'd fought hard for Mal's trust, and she'd rather kill someone than lose that trust, but she's starting to get scared.

Ben freezes, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I think..." Evie hesitates, considering her words, "I believe someone's been visiting her dreams these past few days. She says their name in her sleep often, like she's having a conversation."

"Has she said anything to you?" Ben asks, "How do you know she's not just dreaming about this person a lot?"

Evie admits, "She hasn't said anything, but fairies don't-" She stops, corrects herself, "Mal doesn't dream the way we do. Fairies control what they dream about, and Mal would never choose to dream about this person." While Mal definitely identifies as a fairy, and often even relishes in it, Evie doesn't like reducing her to that. It makes her feel Auradon in a way that makes her skin crawl. Auradon might be good in many ways, but not in that one—never in that one.

"Is this person dangerous?" Ben asks, taking her at her word, and she's grateful.

Evie says carefully, "They can be."

"Who is it, Evie?"

Evie is quiet for a long time before revealing, "Persephone, Goddess of Spring."

"Okay."

"Okay?!" Evie says, "I don't think you understand-"

Ben says, "I know about Mal's dad," which stops Evie in her tracks.

"What."

"I figured it out. Megara wouldn't have warned us if she wasn't certain that Mal was a demigod, and Mal was born too long after the Isle's creation for her mom to have been pregnant with an outsider's child. Of everyone in the Isle, Hades would be the most likely father—not the only, mind you, but the most likely." He continues, "I didn't know for sure until her hair changed."

"She hates it," Evie says.

Ben nods, "I know."

"Does she know you know?"

Ben says, "I never said anything. Her mom didn't matter to me, so why would her father?"

"No one can know, Ben," Evie says, "I'm the only one she's told."

Ben nods.

"What do we do about Persephone?"

"Nothing."

"What?!"

Ben says, "Has Mal ever sounded afraid in these dreams? Or angry?" When Evie is quiet, he says, "Mal has seemed much happier these past few days. If she comes to us for help, we'll help, but until then..."

Evie groans in frustration, "Gods aren't—They aren't good! Mal is in danger!"

"Mal's good," Ben points out, "Why can't Persephone be good?"

Evie opens her mouth. Closes it. Opens it. Changes her mind. She growls before turning around and storming for the door.

"You sound like Mal when you growl like that."

"Goodnight, Ben!" Evie slams the door behind her, not waiting for his response.

"So, Family Day is coming up," Doug explains one day over lunch, ignoring his Auradon peers' staring expertly, "and Fairy Godmother has arranged for you to experience Family Day via a video conferencing software in advance, so that you can see your parents without missing out on the day's festivities."

"Greeeeeaaaaaaaaaat," Jay says, earning a harsh elbow jab from Evie, who he begins to quietly argue with.

Mal says, "That's sweet of her. It'll be good to talk to our parents again."

Doug looks conflicted, but Jane says what he must have been thinking, "You're allowed to tell my mom to cancel if you'd rather not-"

"It's fine," Mal insists.

Ben coughs pointedly, telling the Auradon kids not to push it. The bracelet on his wrist glitters in the sun, and looks familiar somehow, even though Carlos is certain he's never seen Ben wear it before. "In the interest of the diversity initiative, we thought it might be fun for you VKs to do a performance to welcome the parents. That way you guys are included more in the fun!"

"A performance?" Evie says, tuning back in.

Mal looks confused, "Is this performance supposed to represent the Isle?"

"Well, preferably," Ben says.

Doug clarifies, "It should be at least somewhat relevant to the culture there."

Jay grins, "Oh this event just got a whole lot less PG."

"Jay, no!"

Jay ignores Mal's indignant outburst, turning to Jane, "You wouldn't happen to have any guns on hand, would you?"

"Or poison?" Evie asks, just to watch Mal's face turn red in frustration.

"Umm..." Jane says, unsure if the VKs are kidding.

Carlos, being a VK, knows they're only half-kidding.

"As much as I hate to admit it," Carlos says, "They have a point."

"A lot of gang activity?" Ben says, looking pointedly at Mal like it's an inside joke.

Mal, shockingly, snorts, "Something like that. Anyway, what are we supposed to do?"

"Maybe you could do something that's in-between?" Jane suggests, "Some sort of amalgamation? I'm sure we could do a retelling of a famous event or-"

"I've got it!" Carlos yells, suddenly realizing what they need to do, "We could sing a song!"

Mal looks skeptically, "You feeling up to singing a sea shanty about dissecting mermaids? That's what was popular in the Isle."

Ben looks terrified. His “Auntie Arie”' would probably faint if she heard that.

"No!" Carlos turns to Jane, "You've heard of villain medleys, right?"

Jane looks surprised, "Those are Auradon creations, of course I've heard of them."

"What's a villain medley?" Mal asks.

"They're mash ups of villain-themed songs," Doug explains.

Carlos says, "There's gotta be songs related to each of our parents, right? I know my mom has one."

"We could sing Rotten to the Core for my mom," Evie suggests.

Jay says, "I don't really like any of the songs about my dad, but we could do something like One Jump Ahead."

"Oh, I love One Jump Ahead!" Evie agrees.

Mal stays quiet.

Ben turns to Mal, "What about you?"

Doug just looks confused, "You guys know One Jump Ahead?"

"Uh, duh! Who doesn't know One Jump Ahead?" Carlos says, "We're villains, not heathens."

Carlos gets so involved in the planning of this all, he doesn't pay attention to Ben and Mal, who whisper to one another.

When Mal decides on a date of theirs for the first time, she asks to just hang out in Ben's room. She tells herself it's for the mission-so she can survey his rooms and the adjoining castle. Really, she just wants to get away from the world for a little while, and she wants to take Ben with her. Ben, the saint, doesn't question it.

"It's a lot cleaner right now than it usually is," Ben says, seeming a little nervous, "There's usually more dirty clothes or old papers."

Mal, who feels a little out of her depth, quips, "What? The maids don't usually clean up after you fast enough?"

Ben blushes, "Well, uh, I usually ask them not to." He clears his throat, composing himself, "A king who manages a kingdom well also knows how to manage his own space."

"Oh," Mal says, "Did your dad teach you that?"

Ben laughs, "Grandpa Maurice, actually. He was glaring at my dad when he said it. He couldn't believe that Mom married someone who didn't pick up after himself."

Mal smiles, "I think I'd like your grandpa."

"I'll have to introduce you next time he's in town."

Mal frowns, "He's not coming to Family Day?"

Ben shakes his head, "His dog's sick, so we made him promise to stay home."

"You made him promise?"

"He would have felt bad if it was his idea to stay home."

Mal pretends to be disappointed, "I take it back. That man is too nice for me."

"Hey! Am I not nice?" Ben jokes.

Mal, being serious, responds with, "No, you're perfect."

It has that desired effect, and Ben turns red and unlocks the door. Mal laughs as he fumbles with the keys (which he retrieved from his boot, she notices, and tells herself that this is important to the mission).

She stops laughing when the door swings open, and the largest room she's seen in her life is revealed.

Okay, maybe not the largest, but definitely high up there.

"Woah," Mal says, "and I thought the boys' dorms were extravagant." All of the furniture is ornate and larger than life, and trophies and trinkets are displayed on nearly every surface, the only exception being the antique desk that is clearly reserved for princely (and soon to be kingly, if Mal fails) affairs.

Ben is silent, watching for Mal's reaction. Mal asks, "No television?"

"Used to give me nightmares."

Mal hums sympathetically, "Those suck."

Ben relaxes a little, like he'd feared a more extreme reaction. "Want to just hang out on the bed for a bit? I feel like you'd rather just talk than do anything exciting."

Mal smiles gratefully, "Yes, please. Sorry I'm not super romantic or anything."

She climbs onto his bed, and Ben presses himself next to her, despite all of the extra space. She lets him, surprising even herself.

"If I wanted someone super romantic," Ben says, "I'd tell you. I like you, Mal."

"You love me," she corrects, starting to feel the guilt creep in.

Ben senses her upset, "You okay?"

Mal nods, "I just—If, for example, we like, broke up because we had to go long-distance or something, would you—How would you feel about still being in love with me?"

"Well," Ben says, humoring her, "Long-distance wouldn't stop me—Not even the Isle. But, if we did break up for some other reason, and I was still in love with you, I would be heartbroken, but I wouldn't regret having loved you. I would be grateful to have had the chance to love you to begin with."

"Oh."

They're quiet for a moment, and Ben turns on his side to face her, cupping her cheek when she turns to face him. "Why do I feel like that's not what you wanted to hear?"

"It's not—" Mal feels like she might cry, "I don't deserve that."

Ben runs a thumb across her cheek reassuringly, "It's not about deserving anything. I love you, and I will continue to love you. Even if we're old and gray and have been happily apart for years, I'll still love the you I've gotten to know. Is that fair?"

Mal says nothing.

Ben leans in, and Mal panics, "Wait, Ben, the promise-"

"I know." Ben says, still close, "Do you trust me?"

Mal closes her eyes, nodding.

She feels his weight shift next to her, and his breath across her face. She stays still, letting him do whatever it is he wants to do. She feels him against her forehead, and then on her nose. She opens her eyes and sees his face pressed against hers. Ben's eyes are closed, "We'll go at whatever pace you're comfortable with, and this is enough for me to be satisfied, if that's what you're worried about."

Mal lets her eyes slide closed, banishing the thoughts that try to intrude on this moment.

Mal doesn't know how, but Ben manages to make her laugh and smile, after that. She even presses herself closer and, for a moment, wishes that she could kiss him, even though she knows this relationship is doomed to fail anyway, and kissing him would be in her best interest for multiple reasons.

"Persephone," Mal says, long past the cold shoulder or fear that plagued her in her early meetings with the goddess, "I don't know what to do."

The goddess hums before the scenery changes, and Mal finds herself in a temple with blue fires lit around the hall. Lush gardens grow right up until the fire's edge, and pomegranate trees flower under a skylight. Mal and Persephone are sitting on a plush couch.

"Where are we?"

Persephone says, "The outskirts of the Underworld. Your father can't follow us here, but neither can anyone else."

Mal nods, "Okay, but I still need help with-" She groans, "boys."

"Boys?" Persephone says, sounding surprised, "As in plural?"

"What? No!" Mal denies, "It's Ben—Just Ben," she clarifies, in case Persephone cuts in again, "He... really thinks he's in love with me."

Persephone looks confused, "Well, that's what the spell was meant to do, right?"

"Yes, but," Mal explains, "he's acting like he's in love with me."

"Mal, I don't really—Is he making you uncomfortable? Pushing boundaries?"

"No!"

"Has he tried to kidnap you or poison potential suitors?"

"Oh my god, I made a mistake in asking you-"

Persephone says, "No, no! Let me try! I'm getting used to human/fairy shenanigans!"

Mal groans, regretting this already.

"So, he's not making you uncomfortable, or pushing you, and he's doted on you since you both got together, right?" At Mal's nod, she says, "Are you, perhaps, starting to like him?"

Mal doesn't answer.

"Oh, sweetheart," Persephone says, "I'm so sorry."

"What do I do?"

"Well, sweetie," Persephone says, "Whatever you want."

Mal says, "What?"

Persephone says, "If you want to steal the wand, steal the wand. If you want to stay with Ben in Auradon, stay with Ben in Auradon. If you want to run away and start a modest potions shop, you can. Follow your heart, because you are more free now than you ever have been."

Mal is quiet for a while before deciding, "I want to steal the wand."

While Persephone might like Mal now, she'll regret their relationship later, and Mal's real mother is counting on her.

"Alright."

"No arguments?"

Persephone says, "I said whatever you want. Of course I'll support you in whatever that is."

"I should... probably break Ben's spell when this is all over with, right?"

"Whatever you want," Persephone says.

"It's cruel, isn't it? Letting him still be in love with me while I steal the wand and ruin his life?"

"Quite villainous, but not quite you."

"Why can't things just be easy?"

"Nothing worthwhile is," Persephone says, "Do you realize just how many gods are still pissed with your father and I for loving each other?"

When Mal makes the anti-love potion that night in the kitchen, she doesn't tell anyone, nor does she need Lonnie to produce tears for her.

Jay returns to their bedroom late the next morning with Evie in tow. The VKs were all supposed to work on the Family Day performance today. "Where's Mal?" Carlos asks.

"She won't be joining us this morning," Evie says, "She had a hard time sleeping and-"

"Looked like she was sleeping just fine to me," Jay says, taking on a mocking tone, "'Persephone, Persephone!' What? Does she have a crush or something? Is there anyone named Persephone at this school?"

"Persephone?" Carlos says, sounding immediately more concerned than Jay thought was needed.

Evie says, "Persephone isn't a student. While she could be dangerous, Ben has decided that she does not seem to be a threat at the moment-"

"Wait, Ben knows?" Jay asks.

Carlos asks, "Does he know about her dad?"

"Her dad?" Jay is confused.

"How do you know about her dad?!" Evie asks, looking shocked.

"What the hell is going on?"

Jay is ignored. Carlos explains, "Hades and I used to talk sometimes-"

"Wait, Hades is Mal's dad?"

"You talked to him?!" Evie snaps, "And you didn't say anything?!"

Jay yells, "Who the hell is Persephone?!"

"Hades's wife!" Evie yells before turning her glare back to Carlos, "How long have you known?"

Jay is left reeling, and he tunes out all of the yelling from the others.

After that first talk with Coach, Jay had wondered if he’d never understood what “family” meant.

Coach acted as if family supported one another, and relied on one another. “Family is irreplaceable, son. If you look at your teammates as your own brothers, you’ll understand.” He’d struggled to explain, like everyone else had understood without an explanation. Jay had, not for the first time, felt stupid. “You protect your brothers. Their victories are your victories.”

Jay hadn’t understood until Coach changed his metaphor, explaining that each teammate is like a part of his body.

Jay, while excited to be the team’s fist, knows that he is more than a fist. His legs support him. His arms assist him. His eyes guide him. Without his team—or his family, he guesses—he’s disabled. He isn’t capable of his greatest potential.

He hadn’t lied, before, about his house being bad at dinner. The guards disapproved of his father’s business practice of selling stolen goods, and often their presence scared off customers. Jafar would yell and scream and Jay did too because he was only good for that and stealing.

When he thought on it later, he realized why it bothered him so much. After their first game, he confessed to Ben, “The VKs are my family.” He clarified, “I love them.”

Ben, who was just barely recovering from the initial intensity of the love potion, had asked, “Is that uncommon on the Isle?”

“Is it common here?” Jay asked, amazed at the idea that friends could be more than that.

Ben had told him it was one of many things to love about Auradon. He then proceeded to talk about how pretty, and funny, and smart Mal was, but Jay chooses not to hold that against him.

"Fairy Godmother?" Jay stays late after Remedial Goodness after the teacher returns to campus, "I wanted to talk to you about Family Day."

Fairy Godmother, who must be expecting a prank or flirtatious line, says, "What's the matter?"

"I know you're planning on like, calling our parents and whatnot," Jay says, "which is really nice of you to do, but, uh, I was wondering if you could call Mal's dad too? Separately? I don't know if the reception is great in the Underworld but if you can get internet to work on the Isle, you've gotta be able to-"

Fairy Godmother says, "We can not call on the dead without help from the Fates or Doctor Facilier. I'm afraid we couldn't-"

"He's not dead. Just in the Underworld."

"Mal's father is alive?" Fairy Godmother says, looking stunned.

Jay relaxes, "I'm glad I wasn't the only one out of the loop."

"Wait. He's alive and in the—Mal's a demigod—Is Hades her father?"

Jay nods.

"Bibbidi, bobbidi..." Fairy Godmother says, starting to sweat, "Well, uh, I'll see what I can do, Jay. Perhaps Hermes could deliver a message for us-" She walks away, still talking to herself. Jay doesn't follow after her.

When the villains call, the conversation is awkward, to say the least. Maleficent tries not to lie while also not giving anything away to Fairy Godmother, Cruella threatens to skin Dude (who Mal thinks wouldn’t make a very good handbag, regardless of the woman’s insistence), Jafar is remarkably silent, and the Evil Queen stresses to Evie how important it is that she settle down with a prince soon.

Evie knows how important that is, especially since her brief involvement with Uma led her mother to believe that Evie might be a lesbian. (Evie had thought so too, to be fair, before she got to know Doug, who’d only ever made her smile and laugh and seemed to take all of her worries in stride. She knows it’s a lost cause, but Evie’s a dreamer, and her daydreams have starred Doug more and more in place of the prince she’d waited for for so long).

She ignores Fairy Godmother’s apologies, because that was possibly one of the least painful conversations with her mother she’s ever experienced.

“We have one more call to get through today,” Fairy Godmother says, surprising all but Jay, it seems.

Is she calling Iago? Would Iago even take a phone call for him?

The VKs stand awkwardly while the monitor switches back on, and a new call connects. This time, the person on the other side is not in the Isle, but in an imposing throne room deep underground and swathed in the blues and greens of the Underworld.

Evie gasps. There’s no way—Ben wouldn’t have—

“Hey, Mal,” Hades greets pleasantly, “Long time no see.”

Mal tenses, snapping defensively, “And whose fault is that? It’s not like I walked out on you when I was a baby.”

“There’s that snark I’ve heard so much about!” Hades says, ignoring the jab, “I hear Family Day is coming up. I’m glad for the invitation, but I’m afraid your boyfriend’s parents won’t let me out of their guards’ sight.”

“How do you-” Mal clears her throat, composing herself, “How do you know about Ben?”

Evie places a hand on Mal’s shoulder reassuringly.

Hades tilts his head, “You know how I know. Hermes is terribly romantic and helps Seph and I keep in touch during the warmer months.”

Mal nods. She turns to Fairy Godmother, “Shut it off.”

“What?”

“Please shut it off,” Evie says.

Fairy Godmother complies, ignoring Hades’s protests. “I’m sorry. I thought that one was going well—Jay had-”

“‘Jay had—?’” Evie echoes, whirling to face Jay.

“Leave it, Evie.” Mal says, “He didn’t know.”

“But he—” He did know, Evie wants to say, I told him. Carlos knows too. And Ben. “Fine,” she says instead.

Remedial Goodness is let out early after that fiasco.

“She called Hades,” Mal says to Persephone.

Persephone runs her hand over Mal’s hair, smoothing it. “Your father was excited, but he really had thought you wanted to speak with him.”

“How can I just talk to him when he left me?”

“He didn’t leave,” Persephone says, “Your mother didn’t let him be involved once you were born.”

Mal isn’t surprised, though she should be. She and Persephone sit in silence.

Mal’s breath is shaky as she stands with the other VKs, and the fairy is extremely aware of all of the heroes and heroines staring at them. She barely hears as the band, led by Doug, strike up a nostalgic tune and Carlos struts to the front of the group, more in his element on the stage than he ever could be on the field.

“Cruella DeVil,” he begins, “Cruella DeVil. If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.”

Some of the audience relax, recognizing the tune.

“To see her is to take a sudden chill!”

“Cruella,” the other VKs sing, “Cruella DeVil!”

Jay steps forward, “The curl of her lips.”

“The ice in her stare,” Mal adds.

“All innocent children had better beware,” Carlos sings with a smile.

Jay, Carlos, and Mal eye Evie suspiciously as they sing, “She’s like a spider waiting for the kill!”

With a little whispered magic from Jane in the crowd, Evie steps forward as her dress changes from blue to white and black. The band's tune changes, and Evie belts, “Cruella! Cruella! DeVil!”

“Rotten to the core,” Jay, Mal, and Carlos all sing as Evie brings out a mirror to gaze upon her own reflection.

“Mirror, mirror,” Evie sings as the mirror begins to spill out wisps of green smoke, reacting to her call, “on the wall… who’s the baddest, of them all?”

Carlos sings, “Welcome to our wicked world!”

Jay slides in front of Evie, who falls back in line with the other VKs, “We’re one jump ahead of the rest!” He twirls a very real knife that he’d lifted from one of the guards. The guard, who’d already been told this would happen, puts on a good show and draws his sword and charges at Jay, who dodges, “One jump ahead of the sword,” a second guard rushes Jay from the other side as the first tries to strike again. “They’re quick, but I’m faster! One hit ahead of the flock!” He dodges, and the guards’ sword clash against one another in the middle. “One jump ahead of the lawmen!” He fakes a yawn as the guards pretend to struggle to untangle their swords from one another, “I think I’ll take a stroll around the block.”

“So we’ve got some mischief,” Mal sings, taking the stage, “in our blood.”

“Can you blame us?” Evie says, smiling sweetly in contrast to her words.

All of the VKs step forward as the guards rush off stage, and the band changes melody once more (Mal really needs to thank Doug after all of this). It’s a little scary, being on stage, but Mal’s more nervous because, well, it’ll be the first time anyone else heard her mother’s lullaby so publicly, even if some of the words have been changed.

“Don’t you want to be evil? Like us!” All of the VKs sing.

Evie says, “Don’t you want to be mean?”

“Don’t you want to make mischief your daily routine?” Jay sings with a crooked smile.

“You vampire bats!” Jane sings, rushing on stage in fake outrage.

Mal rolls her eyes, “Us inhuman beasts?”

Jane huffs, “You ought to be locked up and never released!”

“Well, you can spend your life tending to the poor,” Mal sings with forced indifference, “but when you’re evil, doing less is doing more!”

Ben rushes up now, “You may call them schemers, may call them freaks,” he puts an arm around Mal as if to support her, resting his hand on her, “But they’re just unique.”

Jane says, “They’re dirty no goods, right down to the bone—”

“It’s in their blood!” A guard yells, way too excited for his one line.

Jay sings, “You blame our parents, but that’s no fun.”

“If you think I'm evil,” Mal sings, “like them, that’s right indeed!”

Ben looks at her like he’s shocked by the words, releasing her, “But that can’t be!”

Mal smiles at him, a hint of a threat behind it, “You should thank your lucky star you haven’t crossed a villain like me!”

The band stops and all of the energy leaves Mal as she falls forward, burying her face in Ben’s chest as she laughs nervously while the audience applauds them.

Jane and Carlos thank the audience while Jay returns the guard’s knife and Evie rushes to thank Doug and the rest of the band.

“You did great,” Ben whispers to reassure her.

Mal laughs, “Thanks.”

“Mother, Father,” Ben says, “this is my girlfriend, Mal!”

Belle and Adam don’t know how to respond, seeing the obvious happiness radiating off their son as she is pulled to his side. She smiles politely, but they know firsthand the wrath of fairies. (The Enchantress who’d cursed Adam had been revealed to be a fairy when they finally caught her and sent her to the Isle, and many questions had been answered).

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Belle says, recovering first.

Mal is tense, “you as well.”

Adam knows that she and the other VKs are in the process of being reformed, and have adjusted well to life in Auradon. Ben’s reports, as well as the school faculty, have all been absolutely glowing reviews of the group, aside from occasional misconduct like vandalism (Mal, he remembered), theft (likely Jafar’s boy), and excessive roughness (also likely Jafar’s boy).

Adam wants to believe in his son as soon-to-be king, but after seeing that performance-

There had been a rawness in their performance, like they’d honestly felt the words they sang and, while Adam knows acting is a thing, he also knows that those who act well in performances can also act well outside of them.

Just how much of that performance was an act?

“That was a wonderful performance,” Adam says, “It was fun to see you all do a villain medley, even if I didn’t recognize all of the songs. Isle music, I’m guessing?”

Mal shifts nervously, “Some of it, but some of it was a song my mother wrote.”

“Your mother?”

Mal looks to Ben.

Ben takes over, “Maleficent used to sing Mal to sleep. Fairies usually sing from the heart.”

Mal nods.

“Mal hums when she’s happy,” Ben adds cheekily.

Mal looks at him as if he’s betrayed her deeply, though her cheeks are red from embarrassment.

Belle laughs good-naturedly, “She’d fit right in with us, then! The castle is full of music.”

Mal smiles, still embarrassed but less awkward.

Say something! Adam thinks, wanting to do right by his son even if his instincts scream that there’s something off about this girl.

“You should join us,” Adam offers, and the smile Belle gives him convinces him that he’s made the right choice, “We were about to play croquet.”

Mal lights up, “Oh! I actually know how to play that!”

Ben looks surprised, “You do?”

“My old boss used to play,” Mal says, and Ben’s confusion disappears. She explains to Belle and Adam, “I used to work for the Queen of Hearts. Sometimes, I’d play with her after hours.”

“Perfect!” Ben says.

It becomes apparent to Adam very quickly that Mal did not know the rules of croquet.

“What is—Where are the plastic flamingos and rats?”

Ben laughs and explains the rules.

While Mal was meeting her boyfriend’s family, Jay and Carlos had gotten to work over at the snack bar, where chocolate cheese poured from fountains. Fountains!

“Oh my god,” Carlos says, sticking his mouth under the chocolate pouring down.

“Hey! Leave some for me!” Jay yells before yanking him back and doing the same.

Carlos whines, “What happened to finders keepers?!”

Carlos gets the middle finger for that, and he groans in frustration before marching off to find something else interesting at this dull event. It’s while he’s settling in at a table lined with pies (a la mode, of course) that a woman approaches him.

“Carlos DeVil?” She’s youthful looking, but carries the weight of someone older, perhaps a little younger than his mom. She has a kind smile and light curly hair swept up in a bun under a large sunhat.

Carlos, who has a spoonful of pie in his mouth and chocolate smeared across his face, answers, “‘Eah?”

The woman laughs, “My husband thought that I might find you here. He’s happy that you liked the song. He never would have thought this might happen when he first played it.”

Carlos stiffens. This woman reminds him a lot of his mother’s stories, and after that comment about her husband—There’s no way.

Could this be Anita?

“Don’t look so frightened,” she says, trying to put the boy at ease, “I have something for Mal, and I was hoping you could pass it along for me since she’s busy.” She gestures to where she chats with Ben’s parents as Ben hits the ball. Carlos doesn’t get the appeal of such a boring game. Ben’s parents look stiff and a little afraid, and the woman huffs in displeasure, “So close-minded. I’ll have to speak with them next time we have tea.”

Definitely Anita. Ben has mentioned her infamously dramatic tea parties.

“Uh, what did you want to give me?”

Anita pulls out a necklace with a blue stone sitting in the center. It seems familiar to Carlos somehow. “She’ll need this for your plan if you decide to go through with it.”

“What?!”

“Quiet,” Anita says, “you’ll make a scene.” She smiles mischievously, “Are you really so surprised? She and I talk a lot, you know.” She drops the necklace in his hands, “And I’m hardly a stranger to plotting.”

He looks the necklace over, and quickly realizes his mistake. “Wait, you’re-”

“I’ll tell my husband you said hi and, don’t worry, he just gave her a small piece.” The goddess leaves.

Shit. Shit. That was-

“Persephone, hi!” One of the queens greets as they rush to catch up with her.

Mal, Ben, and Adam watch as Belle takes her turn.

“Hey, Bunny,” Chad says, sliding next to them.

“Bunny?” Ben asks, looking confused.

Mal ignores both of them.

Chad persists, “Like we don’t all know that she’s hopped her little way onto your-”

“Hey!” Ben interrupts.

“What? It’s hardly like you're the first. Little fairy bitch uses her magic and her body to get what she wants, and the whole school knows it. First, Doug, then Jane, and now?”

Mal feels a growl rise from her throat, trying as she might to contain it.

Ben says, “That’s not true, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d apologize to Mal-”

“And why should we?!” He yells, drawing the attention of those around them.

Adam smiles and speaks through grit teeth, “Young man, I really don’t think this is the time-”

“Why should we apologize when she’s the one in the wrong?!” He laughs hysterically, “Did we all watch the same thing? They told us they were evil! They relished it!”

“It was just a medley,” Mal says, trying to calm herself down.

The boy rears back in offense, “Oh? So you’re laughing at our culture? We made those medleys to cope with what you-”

Evie marches up to him, snarling at the boy she’d once had feelings for, “Last I checked, the only one laughing was you!”

“Sluts sticking together? Who could have guessed?”

She sprays her sleeping potion before Mal can stop her, and all hell breaks loose.

The VKs leave, returning to the safety of the girls’ dorm.

“Dad, it’s not their fault!”

“No, it’s not,” Adam reluctantly agrees, “and that’s why it would be kindest to send them back home.”

Ben roars, “This is their home!”

“They’d be far more welcome in the Isle than they ever will be here.”

“Mom, tell him this is unfair!”

Belle avoids his eyes as she says, “Mal is lovely, Ben, and I’m sure her friends are too, but I can’t recommend that we keep them here where they won’t be treated well.

“I can’t believe you-”

“Could you really look Mal in the eye and keep her here?” Adam asks, “Could you keep her here, knowing this will continue to happen?”

Ben is quiet for a moment before he says, “I won’t send her back to the Isle. If you guys knew what happened there, you wouldn’t ask me to.” He continues, not wanting them to answer, “I’ll be king in a week, and you need to start acting like it.”

Evie and Doug study together the week leading up to the coronation, since they have a chemistry exam the day after. While Evie knows this exam will likely never happen, and there’s no way she’d be able to take it even if it did, she can’t bring herself to cheat herself out of this time with him.

After what happened on Family Day, Doug started to be ostracised for being seen with the VKs—particularly Evie, who had spelled his roommate (Jane had been delighted to hear that Chad was spelled to sleep again). Because of this, he’d distanced himself from the VKs where he could, and Evie couldn’t convince herself to hate him for it, even though she should.

It would be perfect, wouldn’t it? She’d fall out of love with him. She’d find the motivation to be evil and become queen (something everyone agreed would be Evie’s reward if they succeed). She might even find herself a prince to enslave and poison, just as her mom always wanted.

It would be perfect.

But, Evie’s a dreamer, and she’ll never forgive herself if she lets this boy pass her by.

“Thankfully, the stoichiometry looks like it will be the largest portion of the exam, so if we remember to keep our fractions straight then—Evie, are you alright?”

Evie doesn’t know. “Kiss me.”

Doug, to his credit, does, and it feels right like nothing Evie has ever experienced.

When she starts crying, she tells Doug it’s because she’s happy, and she’s only half-lying. She is happy, and she’s heartbroken because of it.

Evie’s a dreamer, and she’s never hated herself more for it.

The necklace sits heavy on Mal’s chest. She still can’t believe that Hades gave her a piece of the Ember, which would amplify her godly powers as long as she didn’t get it wet. She also can’t believe that Persephone approached Carlos, but she supposes that Carlos knows her dad pretty well, so it’s not too far-fetched.

“I don’t know how much time we’ll have after the coronation,” Ben says, in the carriage on the way to said coronation, “Snow will probably want an interview, at the very least.”

Mal nods.

“I wanted to ask you about what happened with Chad.”

“He was full of shit, Ben, it’s fine.”

Ben doesn’t let her dismiss it so quickly, “Jane told me it’s happened before. Ever since we’ve gotten together, why didn’t you say something?”

“They were saying things before then, that’s just when they switched Fairy for Bunny. I guess they started feeling too racist with Jane standing right there.”

“Why didn’t you-”

Mal says, “What was I supposed to say, Ben? What is anyone supposed to say to that? It’s not like-” She huffs before handing him the box in her hands, “I got you something, for after. We’ll talk then.”

He opens the box, seeing the muffin inside. He smiles, “Oh! That’s so sweet of you.”

“Like you said before,” Mal says, “you’ll be busy after. Thought you could have something to tide you over if you get-”

He pops the muffin in his mouth, and Mal cries, “No!”

He hums appreciatively, “That’s some good anti-love potion.”

“What?” Mal says, shocked by how quickly it worked, and how nonchalant he is about it.

Ben laughs, “Sorry, just thought you might like to know that the spell wore off during our first date.”

She reels, “What? That shouldn’t—Why didn’t you—”

“Say anything?” He teases, “Wanted you to feel comfortable enough to tell me yourself. Besides, I couldn’t be too mad.”

“Uh, yes? Yes, you absolutely should have been mad.”

Ben shrugs, “Well, how could I blame you for spelling me when your mom taught you evil and fairy traditions, both of which encourage you to use magic and manipulation?”

“I drugged you, Ben.”

“And gave me the antidote. All’s good.”

Mal clenches her hand into fist, shakes it, then drops it. It’s then that she realizes. “Wait, so everything since then-”

“100% real.”

Oh god. Oh god.

“You love me.” She says, putting it into words, “You really…”

“Is it so hard to believe?”

His nonreaction to all of this is starting to irritate her, even if he can’t know why, “Uh, yeah!”

“Okay, um,” Ben says, looking ahead at the coronation hall in frustration, “We have a lot to talk about then, after.”

“Yeah,” Mal agrees with a sinking feeling in her gut, “After.”

Ben rubs his nose against hers in a butterfly kiss before greeting the public and the pair step out of the carriage.

Mal watches as Ben kneels before Fairy Godmother, and watches as she produces her wand to declare him king. She watches as Belle rests her head on Adam’s shoulder and smiles proudly at her son. Her husband is crying, but he does it in such a dignified way that Mal feels envious.

She looks toward the other VKs, who stand on a balcony across and down the hall. They meet her gaze, waiting for her to act.

She rips her gaze from her friends, looking back at Ben, who bows his head.

Fairy Godmother raises her wand.

Mal darts forward, snatching the wand from her and ignoring the screams and gasps of everyone around. The VKs rush to join her as Mal backs away from the royals.

“Mal?” Ben says, sounding so genuinely confused that Mal feels her heart break.

“Stay back!” Mal yells as she brandishes the wand.

More gasps.

Fairy Godmother’s face has gone pale, “Now, young lady—”

Ben stands, taking a step forward, shrugging off the guards that try to stop him. “I said stay back!” Mal yells, eyes burning green.

“Mal,” Ben says, “let’s talk about this. This isn’t you.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me!” The VKs arrive at Mal’s side, and the group slowly backs up until they are directly under the skylight that grants access to the open sky.

Ben tries to placate her, “I might not know you as well as I’d like, but I know you well enough to know when you lie.”

Mal is silent, and he takes another step forward. “I know you like sweet stuff, and that you hate raisins if peanut butter isn’t involved. I know you don’t know the first thing about feelings, but you try anyway. I know you don’t understand sometimes why people do good things, or why people look so happy when they talk about their families.”

“I said stay back!”

He ignores her, stopping only when the wand is pressed against his throat. “I’m right here, Mal. It’s time to make your choice.”

“What are you doing?!” Evie hisses at Mal.

Mal doesn’t answer. She can’t shake the blind faith in Ben’s eyes, or the way the whispers and stares of her classmates bother her more than their slurs.

“Please don’t make me do this.” Mal begs Ben.

He answers, “No one can make you do anything. I promised you freedom when you came to Auradon, and I meant it.”

“They’ll kill us, Ben.”

He doesn’t ask who she means. He doesn’t need to. “They can’t get to you here.”

Mal’s hand shakes until she removes the wand from Ben’s neck, surrendering. Ben huffs a sigh of relief, hand going to his throat.

Mal’s cheeks burn with tears.

“Mal!” Jay says.

“Is there a plan?” Carlos asks, “Or are we about to be thrown back onto the Isle?”

Mal breaks.

“I can’t do this. I won’t do this!” Mal turns to the VKs behind her, “I like Auradon, even if Auradon doesn’t like us. I like going to school and going to tourney matches and-and-I really like Ben, and Doug, and Jane, and—and—”

Jay is silent, but he nods in understanding, and he, too, stands down.

Carlos says, “Wait, so all of this—You mean that I didn’t have to stay up all night to say goodbye to Dude?”

Mal laughs, even though she shouldn’t.

Everyone turns to Evie, who is shaking.

“Well, Evie?” Ben prompts, “What do you say?”

Evie yells, “I want to stay too!”

There’s a moment that passes where everyone is silent, and the VKs start to smile at the idea of truly living for themselves.

“Oh?” Audrey says, stepping forward from the crowd with an uncharacteristic calculated stride. She walks gracefully and without fear as Mal holds the wand tightly in her hand. It’s at this moment that Mal remembers that Aurora was blessed by fairies, and it stands to reason that her daughter carries that magic too. “You just showed us all how good you are at acting. All that time, you pretended to be good, to be someone you weren’t. You played the victim and acted as though you wanted to belong.” Her voice raises as her anger flares, “You did this for months and betrayed us the second you had an opportunity!” She steps between Mal and Ben, and Mal steps back instinctively. “I encouraged Ben to give you that opportunity. I won’t do it again.” She snatches the wand from Mal’s grasp before stepping out of reach.

Audrey’s eyes are wild as she says, “You nearly made my grandmother’s greatest nightmare come true. I, for one, would like to see yours.” She raises the wand, twirling it lazily in Mal’s direction, “Bibbidi, bobbidi-”

“Audrey!” Multiple voices cry out to stop her.

“Boo!” Audrey whispers smugly as a beam of light shoots from the wand and… not at Mal.

Instead, it shoots upwards and out of the coronation hall.

“What will the spell do?” Jane asks, stepping forward, “Mal, what’s coming?”

Mal feels despair grip her as she says, “Audrey, undo the spell, now!”

It’s too late, and Mal had known it even as she said it.

A green smoke fills the hall as her mother appears, and all but Mal and Maleficent are frozen in place.

“Hello, Mother,” Mal greets.

Maleficent laughs, cruelly, “Oh? Pretending to have missed me? Well, I can’t blame you if I’m your greatest fear. In fact,” she steps closer, growing taller as her eyes glow green and her skin turns purple and scaled, “I think I’d be disappointed in both of us if I wasn’t.”

Mal feels the Ember burn hot on her chest. Scales begin to form to protect herself from the unbearable heat as she hisses in pain. “It doesn’t have to end this way, Mother.”

“How easily you lie,” Maleficent says, now a fully formed dragon, “you should be grateful I made you a mixed blood. How else could this plan have worked?”

“Grateful?!” Mal growls, growing claws as wings sprout from her back, “How can I be grateful when you only created me to serve you?!”

Maleficent laughs, “Well, I didn’t freeze you, now did I?” She hums, smoke spilling from her nostrils as she takes flight, “Oh, how lovely you would have been supporting my feet as I sat on the throne.”

Mal’s eyes turn slitted and flames start to ignite in her chest. When she flings a fireball at Maleficent, she’s only half-surprised it’s blue instead of green, like it should be.

Normally, fire wouldn’t hurt dragons.

Maleficent reels back in pain, “What’s this?!”

Mal grins, fangs peeking from between her teeth, “Dad sends his regards.”

Maleficent flies up, taking the fight outside where she can dodge Mal’s fire. Mal follows, snapping her jaws and tearing at the delicate tissue of her mother’s tail.

Maleficent kicks at Mal’s face with her talons, scratching her up and causing Mal to let out a roar. Mal spits fire and her mother swoops to the side to dodge it.

The larger dragon doesn’t get far, falling to the field outside. Mal is quick to pounce, pinning Maleficent beneath her after burning a ring of Ember-powered flames around her. Mal opens her mouth, and Maleficent closes her eyes, expecting a killing blow.

“A fairy’s grudge is matched by none

For you, no one will weep

This demigod’s forgiveness is hard won,

And until that day, forever shall you sleep!”

The magic takes hold quickly, the dark fairy out of practice with her magic and her daughter stronger than ever. The dragon collapses from exhaustion and, back in the coronation hall, life moves on.

Ben finds Mal, still a dragon, after the fires have burned themselves out. She’s still hovering over the unconscious dragon that he can only imagine is Maleficent, or what’s left of her.

“Mal,” Ben calls, “Are you alright?”

The dragon turns her head to look at him, and there is an unidentifiable emotion in her eyes as she says, “My True Name is Mallantha.”

Ben immediately recognizes the significance of the gesture, correcting himself, “Mallantha.”

She relaxes, “She’s asleep.” Slowly, she starts shrinking as she removes herself from her mother and comes to Ben’s side, “She won’t wake until I forgive her.”

“Do you think you will?” Ben asks.

Mal is quiet before answering, “I don’t know.”

“Mallantha,” Ben says, knowing Mal in her entirety the way no human ever should. Mal lets him know anyway, because he’s always known her better than she knows herself.

She doesn’t know what’s coming, but she’s ready to face it with him—and the rest of her family (yes, even Hades).