After a while Az and Zou snuck out of the pool. Mal hadn't seen them go, but the spell she said earlier let her know they were up to something, but not soon enough to stop them. Az and Zou dumped a huge bucket of water over her. "REALLY!?" Mal shouted. The adults all turned to ssee who had screamed so loud. The cold water had cause Mal to become angry and for the first time in public her eyes to glow green. Az, quickly blocked Mal from the adults, but not before Leah saw her.
"Mal you ok, calm down."
"So cold, really was that necessary?" She shivered.
"See I told you evil is still present in her, you saw her eyes they glowed." Adam having no choice had to talk to Mal where all could hear.
"Your eyes Mal?"
"Happens in extreme distress. That water was a little cold." She shivered. Adam turned back to the group.
"They surprised her, water was freezing. Someone please bring Mal a robe, poor kid is shivering."
"Unbelievable, you won't stop until she destroys all of Auradon." Queen Leah barked. "It's obivious if we hadn't been here, poor Prince Aziz and Zou Shang would be toast."
Mal shook her head, and walked inside to her room. Ben, Az and Zou followed her.
"Lilac, I Can send that old bat packing if you want?"
"I'll dump the next one on her." Zou added. Ben held a hand up to both boys, and they retreated, allowing Ben to comfort Mal. Ben followed her right to her room.
"Mal, please let me in?" Ben said softly as he knocked on her door.
"I am fine Ben, go back to the party. I am just going to take a shower to warm up."
"Mal, I know you well enough to know that what Leah said really hurt you. Please let me in." Mal opened the door, and Ben saw that she was indeed crying.
"I just want to know what made her so bitter? Why she and Stephan did what they did to my mother?"
"How do you know it was that way and not the other way around?"
"I don't, not really, but according to the three good fairies and even fairy godmother my mother wasn't always this way."
"I believe no one is born evil."
"me either." She said, collapsing into Ben's open arms. "I need a shower."
"Ok, then take one. I'll be down stairs. When you are ready to come out, call me. I will stand with you, as always."
"I need to stand on my own Ben. Someday I will ask her what her issue is, until then, we have to wait it out I guess."
"I guess." Ben kissed her softly and left her alone.
Mal returned to the party after night had fallen. She joined the party, as the celebration had moved away from the pool and into the grand ballroom. There was another huge feast. Mal wasn't even hungry after the last one, but she remembered from her etiquette class it wasn't proper to pass on a meal served by the host. So she took a plate with a small portion of the foods she liked and found Ben at his table.
Ben was glad to see her back into the group. He was sitting with Az. Zou, Doug, Chad and a few other guys from the Academy. Mal was the only girl until Jordan arrived amd rescued her. "Ok, Mal, time to leave Ben with the guys come join us girls." Mal looked at Ben who smiled and nodded. Mal crossed the room to find Jane, Lonnie, Harriet, Freddie and Evie. "E!" She shirked. "Madame let you go?"
"Yes. I was doing so well, I was ahead of everyone else, and they needed time to catch up. How are you?" She asked hugging her best friend.
"Better. I was so over whelmed by way too many boys here. Glad you ladies finally arrived."
"Better late than never." Jordan added. "So when do the rest of the old folks head out?"
"After dinner." Mal added. "then Leah will be gone from my sight." She said looking over her shoulder at the elder monarch.
"One of these days I am going to turn her into something." Jordan said patting Mal's shoulder.
"Thanks, but you'll have to get in line." Mal joked back, even though she had a feeling Jordan wasn't kidding.
"So what did we miss?" Evie asked.
"Just the gang from the Academy messing in the pool. Nothing major. Oh and all the adults know everything about our past, including pictures of where we lived." Mal said looking at her isle friends.
"How?" Harriet asked, and Mal explained it all.
"What a mess. When will Queen Leah ever lay off?" Jane asked.
"Until she is either punished for her prying or she gets what she wants….Ben and Audrey together ruling Auradon." Mal pointed out.
"I just don't get it, everyone could see Ben wasn't happy with Audrey from the beginning. I remember that day, the look on Ben's face when she marched themselves back into the cafeteria at AP and announced they were officially dating, was unforgettable. Ben looked like a deer in the headlights." The Isle kids looked at Lonnie, so she explained what it meant. "It means he looked so stunned, he couldn't move. A deer will stop and stare when hit by bright lights, like from a car."
"OH." They all said together.
The girls chatted and munched on their plates of food until Jasmine approached the podium. "I would like to welcome you all, and thank you for coming to celebrate Aziz's graduation from Agrabah Academy. And congratulations to the others here who also graduated." She paused while the others clapped. "I just want to say first of all, Aziz will be going on to Agrabah University. He and I have agreed that he will become Sultan just after he graduates on his 22nd birthday. I have also decided that I will be changing the law saying he must marry to become Sultan as I feel in this day and age that is as barbaric as an arranged marriage." Mal who was now sitting with Ben, dared to look and see Leah's reaction. The older lady's eyes met Mal's. Mal smiled and returned her attention to Jasmine. "Now, enough chit chat. Bring on the music." The curtain behind Jasmine opened, and a local band that was a favorite of Az's started to play. The kids all got up to dance. As the floor filled with kids, the adults started to clear out.
Around midnight, Mal ducked out to check her phone, she had a nagging feeling she needed to check it. And she was right. A message from Fairy Godmother.
"Mal dear sorry to bother you on your trip, but I have an issue that needs addressing, I need you and Jane in my office tomorrow at 10am. If Jane has already headed back to her computer camp, please text her for me. I can't figure out how to do that, and she never answers my calls. Typical tenager. Thank you Dear see you 10 am sharp." Mal shook her head and went to find Jane. She knew she was staying over, since Carlos couldn't get away to come with her to the party.
"Jane, got a minute?"
"Sure." They moved into a quiet corner. "What's up?"
"I just got a message from your mom. She wants us in her office 10 am sharp tomorrow. Any ideas?"
"Not a one. Guess I finally get to try it?"
"It?"
"Popping somewhere other than to the next room."
"You did it? That's great." Mal hugged her, knowing she had been trying really hard to master the spell.
"Furthest so far was two stories down in my dorm at camp."
"Maybe we should take little bursts? Long distance is really hard."
"I…I want to try."
"Ok. I'll put a tracking spell on you before we leave, just incase you drop out before we get there."
"Thanks, might help."
"Dying to know what it is. Can't be trouble or she wouldn't have waited till tomorrow."
"Nope." They went back to the party.
As they danced, Mal thought about why Fairy Godmother insisted it be tomorrow. Finally it struck her. She called Lonnie over. "Lonnie, when does Jane turn 16?"
"Oh, let me think….tomorrow. Oh wait it's after midnight, now. We have to do something."
"On it. Now I get it."
"Get what?"
"Nothing, just something special Fairy Godmother has planned for Jane tomorrow. Ok, I'll talk to Az and Ben. Make sure Jane stays here.
Mal found Az and Ben talking royal business. Mal shook a finger at them both. "Az, I have a favor. I know this is your grad party, but well it's after midnight and Jane is turning 16 today. Her mother never throws her a big party and well…I just want to have the DJ play her a song."
"Absolutly Lilac. Hey how about we sing that song from school, I have been dying to get you on the mike tonight. Deal?" Mal looked at Ben who nodded. "Come on, the duet we won against AP."
"Sure, why not."
Mal and AZ headed to the stage, and Mal took the mike. She spotted Jane in the audience. "Hello party animals, how are you all doing." They cheered. "I can't hear you." They cheered louder. "Ok, so Our guest of honor here has been bugging me all night to sing with him, and I finally conceded. Only because a little birdy told me that since it is after midnight, it is now a special friend of mines sweet 16. So Az and I dedicate this to you Jane. Happy sweet 16!" Mal could see Jane blush. Mal and Az sang their song to a huge round of applause, that followed with a round of happy birthday to Jane. Mal even called Carlos to let him in on the singing. Come to find out, he had been called to the office too and had no idea it was Janes birthday.
The party went on until 3 am, when Jasmine finally sent everyone to bed. She made everyone stay and crash in multiple rooms of the palace. Mal finally got to bunk with Ben and they had a wonderful night. Mal made sure to tell Ben she would be back after she went to see Fairy Godmother.
Mal met up with Jane in a quiet corner of the palace, and she said the tracking spell. "Why do you have a tracking spell Mal?"
"I was tracking Freddie, in case she met up with you know who."
"Right. Ok, lets go."
"See you there, I know you can do it Jane." Jane popped out first, then Mal. Mal arrived at the office, to find Jane there. She hugged the younger fairy. Carlos was sitting in a chair.
"Nice going Jane." He said, and she blushed. Fairy Godmother came out of the back room of her office with the same small gift bag that Mal was given on her 16th birthday.
"Jane, the Fairy council decided that Mal was ready at 16 for her wand. And again decided today you are ready. Happy birthday dear one." She said and handed Jane the bag. Jane pulled the plain wand from the bag, she looked at it, then to Mal. Mal winked, letting her know there was more. Mal, Fairy Godmother and Carlos watched it transform. The wand glowed pink, then blue. A pink ribbon wrapped around the handle and up the staff. A bow formed at the top of the handle. The base of the handle, a butterfly. The wings of the butterfly a lovely shade of blue morphing into pink. "Lovely." Fairy Godmother said.
"Oh, Jane it's beautiful, and very much you!"
"That is super neat Jane." Carlos said. "Hope you get great use out of it doing good. But Fairy Godmother, should Jane just inherit yours?"
"No dear, it doesn't work like that. The role of Fairy Godmother isn't inherited. The fairy council will chose the next fairy godmother when I pass away."
"A long time from now mother." Jane said.
"Yes dear of course." Fairy Godmother patted her daughters arm. "Well enough of this nonsense. Jane dear, I need you to Send Carlos back to Camp, then hand me the wand. I have yours and Mal's here for safe keeping over the summer. We will begin intense wand training once school starts again."
Mal could see Jane was sad to hand it back over, but happy to at least once use it. She used it to send Carlos back to school, then, begged to send Mal back with it too. To which Mal agreed. Then she handed it over to her mother who then send Jane back to Agrabah.
"I hated to give it up so soon."
"I know the feeling. I miss mine too. Funny how it becomes a part of you the minute you touch it. Yours is so lovely Jane."
"Yours too. Oh well school will be here before we know it."
"Yeap. Ok, well we had better head out to the bazar, everyone else is there at the shops shopping before heading home. I need to regin in Evie before she over shops."
Jane laughed, but realized Mal was serious.