"A chance to do what, Ben? Destroy us?"

Her words echoed in everyone's ears, but they didn't stick like they did to Mal. destroy us destroy us destroy us-

Ben's arm tightened around her, and Mal narrowed her eyes down at the bright green grass, so healthy and vibrant compared to the gravel of the Isle.

"You remember the poison apples? And the spells?" the old Queen continued. Mal's nails bit into her sides.

destroy us destroy us destroy us-

"Spells...My daughter was raised by fairies because of your mother's curse. Her first steps...Her first words...I missed it all!"

That was the final blow, and it showed very clearly on Mal's face as Queen Leah turned away from her, crowded by those "noble" Auradanians. So kind to everyone around them.

Almost everyone.

Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Not worth it. Not worth it.Destroy us destroy us destroy us-Destroy them.

"...But what does that have to do with me?"

Her words were quiet, but they were jarring in the still air as the Queen went rigid, facing the child in front of her.

The child whose green eyes were narrowed at her face.

"In what world is it ever okay to take out your resentments on someone who couldn't have stopped it if they tried? If they wanted to?" Mal asked, fists clenched tight.

Ben's hand was on her back, trying to herd her away, but she swatted his hand. She wasn't done. The only thing she was done with-she was tired of- was the sentence hanging over her head.

"I am not responsible for my mother's actions. I wasn't there when she placed that curse. Yet you treat me like I was there. Like I was the one who cast the spell in the first place."

She tapped her finger against her chin mockingly, losing all self control.

"Now, why would I think that? That would just be petty, right? Blaming me for actions I didn't commit is just that- petty." she said, a smile on her face.

She took in the glares from all angles. From everyone but her true friends, who just shook their heads, looking down.

"And don't look at me like I'm the problem. Yeah 'How dare she not grovel at my feet when I just tore her down', right? 'How dare she stand up for herself? Burn the witch!' Am I right? It's because you're all so good, right? Everyone here is just so nice and so kind, unless it's to the people you forced onto a remote island away from all that kindness for a crime they didn't even commit!"

"Which brings us back to the golden question, right? Why me? Why punish me? The children- they didn't do anything." Mal spread her arms, one hand extending to the ocean holding her homeland.

"The only crime that they had was being born into the family of a criminal. So that automatically makes us less than you, right? We were born to villain families, so we're just as bad, right?"

Mal didn't know she was crying until she could taste her tears on her lips.

"Well, let me be very clear your Highnesses: The day the first child of a villain was born on that island, the day they had to grow up abused or neglected, the day they were fed garbage that came from this very kingdom I'm standing in. The day that they realized no one from a supposedly "good" kingdom was coming to get them, to save them- That's the day you all blurred the lines between good and evil." She spat, letting them lash and cut as deep as intended. She turned back to the Queen, whose face was white. With what emotion, she didn't care.

"You may have lost the opportunity to raise your daughter, and I'm sorry for that. But you didn't have to watch your daughter waste away day by day your entire life, and take her sorrows out on you like I did for my own mother." Mal told her, eyes dimming from the rage that had just been burning bright.

Mal turned to walk away, when Ben grabbed her. "Mal-"

"No, I don't need your pity, Ben. That's what we are, right? A charity case?" She yanked her arm away.

His eyes glimmered with hurt. "That's not true, and you know it."

Mal scoffed, and stormed off, her friends in her wake.

Behind her, thousands of people finally considered how horribly they went wrong...