Pitch Black started to thaw as they caught up to Bunnymund, who opened a tunnel with Mal's permission to the Isle of the Lost for her and Jack to fall through before he bounded off to find Dama Fortuna. They appeared on the highest point of the Isle of the Lost – the Forbidden Mountain. It was home to Maleficent's old, crumbling palace, and Mal had only been there once.
"This place gives me the creeps," Jack hissed, glancing around. Mal hummed and pulled Pitch through the crumbling entrance. What had once been a formidable fortress was now a teetering trash heap, but no less imposing. The roof had long since caved in, scattering dust and wreckage across a rough stone floor. Mal could see brown stains across the floor underneath her. She wanted to believe it was rust stains but knew the chances of it being long-dried blood were not only possible, but significantly high. This point on the Isle rose above the majority of the clouds, and thus didn't get any rain. Various ragged and ripped tapestries hung from the moldy walls. Mal could see the remnants of someone being gutted in one. Once upon a time, it had fascinated little her. Back when her entire life story had been to be Maleficent.
Jack followed along slowly, coughing and choking. Mal knew to breathe slowly and deep. She was already going light-headed from the lack of oxygen. She went to the old throne where Maleficent had once sat – where she had once sat, pretending to be her mother – and then set pitch atop it. The armrests crumbled under the weight of the ice, but the stone base of the chair held steady. Bit by bit, she unfroze Pitch's legs and used the old prisoner chains to bind him to the chair. Then, she did the same to his arms, melting the ice up to his wrists so she could bind him.
"These won't hold," She told Jack. "And they're iron – my magic won't work on them. Mom always used iron as, like, a symbolism. That was what Auroria used when fighting against the moorlands."
"So, this was your mom's place?" Jack coughed, sputtering in between breaths. "You grew up here?"
"No," Mal shook her head. "The pollution set in too fast and it became inhabitable before I was born. I grew up in the Dragon Hall on the Isle. But I traveled here once, looking for her scepter." She gave the chains a shake to find the weaknesses and then looked to Jack. "Freeze these over," She commanded. "It's too cold for ice to melt up here. Freeze it over, and I'll reinforce the ice. It'll hold him off for a few thousand years, and then whoever is in charge of the Isle can deal with him then. I'll unfreeze him so he can move a little."
Jack nodded, bending down to poke at the chains. Glittering frost ran up the course of them, and Jack fell over coughing. His hands hit the rubble of the old roof as Mal picked up the frigid chains and gave them a shake. She poured her magic out through her fingertips into the links and watched the entire chain light up under her prompting. Then, she walked over, and carefully began to melt Pitch Black down.
"What is this?" Jack asked in a shaky tone. Mal turned and glanced up as he brushed the rubble aside and uncovered something that resembled hardened yellow-white clay. Pitch Black took a gasping breath in front of her.
"Bones," Mal responded needlessly and Jack, despite his asphyxiation, jumped back. "They're from the old people my mom used to torture before she moved bases to Dragon Hall."
Jack blinked as Mal continued unfreezing the unconscious Pitch Black. His head dropped to his shoulders and then his back slumped into the chair before his legs splayed out in the chair. The nightmare king now sat unconscious on the throne of the Evilest of them all.
"Come on, Jack," Mal called, heading towards the doors. At the sound of her voice, Pitch stirred.
"You grew up with this?" Jack gasped, flitting after her. "With the air and the-"
"The air is worse up here," Mal replied. "Thin too. It'll get better as we go."
"And the bones?" Jack gestured behind him with a frantic wave. "Your mother sounds insane."
Mal scuffed her feet on the ground at the edge of the mountain. Behind them, the castle shook as someone began to yell and holler. Jack jumped. Mal stretched out her wings and took to the air. Jack wasted no time in following her, though he had a significantly harder time navigating the air as they headed down the mountain. Soon enough, they could see the foggy outline of the city, and the air became much more manageable. Jack turned to see the towering mountain fading into the smog and distance before they passed through the barrier and into the sunshine and crisp light of the utopia.
"How did you manage to get up there?" Jack asked, catching up with her easily as clean air filled his lungs. "It's practically all slope."
"It is," Mal affirmed. "And there's cliffs and things. I wasn't alone though – my friends went with me. It took a few months. I was trying to prove myself to my mom."
"Prove what?" Jack asked.
Mal shrugged. "Prove I could be her. I used to do it a lot. It was my mission in life to become Maleficent." She nodded in the direction of the invisible mountain. "The things she did up there, she brought to the Isle. I know it's shocking for you, and it'd probably be shocking for everyone – even Ben – if I showed them, but I grew up alongside her evil schemes. Sometimes, it was even my chore or privilege to participate."
Mal brushed her hands against her sides as Jack stared, openmouthed, at her. She knew she had blood on her hands and things she might have to account for when she died. There had been a very real reason everyone had feared and hated her. A very real reason why Uma had refused to work with her. And it was scary to think of where she was now, consider the path she'd been on, and realize that she could have very well brought all of that misery to Auradon.
A cry went up from the citizens on the Isle, and people called her name as she and Jack took off back over the Auradon Bay. Instead of splitting off though, Mal pointed towards the far west, and they followed the shoreline for several miles before the Auradon border ended and Mal could see the shimmering white barrier of the Magical Moorlands.
"Would you like to see where all magic comes from?" She whispered. Jack jumped at the sound of her voice, and then nodded slowly.
They passed through the barrier and approached the ground at an astounding rate. Mal had visited about forty percent of the moorlands now and knew many of the people there now. Everywhere new she went, people knew who she was, though she had yet to meet them. Before she'd even hit the ground, a group of people had gathered to welcome her.
"Queen Mal!" They cheered, and the familiar language washed over Mal like some sort of calming wave. She smiled.
"Hello!" She cheered and glanced over at Jack. His face twisted at her sudden change of language. "I need to find a smith to forge something for me – hopefully as quickly as possible. Can you help me?"
"The nearest one would be Willowly," a troll with skin like an insect's wings directed her. "He works with wood, though. Not metal or gems. Would that do?"
Mal hummed, sparing Jack a cautious look. "I believe wood would be best actually. Where can I find him?"
Four small creatures with little thorns for fingers and pebbles strewn across plant-like skin seized her fingers and began to lead her away. Mal turned to see if Jack was following her and ran her nose into a pixie that was chattering excitedly in her ear. "Sorry," she apologized as they began tugging lightly at her hair. "Yes, I'm very excited to see you too."
They led her through the woodlands until suddenly the ground turned into a paved pathway with polished stones lining the way. Mal wasn't surprised as they came across a little wooden house – places like this existed in the moorlands, where creatures preferred to live under flat rooves where they could spend the evenings sleeping on top of their dwellings under the stars while having their own private little spaces. She'd been a bit surprised at first to discover a moorland home, but then learned there simply weren't any around Auroria because they'd all been destroyed or moved.
Mal stamped her feet on the doormat and heard something click behind the door. "One moment!" Someone called inside, and then the door opened. A man with two identical heads and a long stump where a third might have been peeked out and then gasped and tripped as he rushed to open the door further. "It's the Queen!" He exclaimed. "Oh, your highness! What an honor it is to finally meet you!"
"Thank you," Mal replied. "Are you Willowly? A smith?"
"I – yes!" Willowly exclaimed, twisting his hands, which had had three of, in a revolving circle in front of him. "I am! I am Willowly! And I – I make things! Staffs and wands and things! I, uh," He swallowed and visibly calmed himself. "You don't need anything, do you? I was under the impression you and your mother had similar magic."
"We do," Mal nodded. "Rather, I need something for someone else. What can you do for a winter spirit with no control over her powers?"
Willowly looked behind her at Jack, who was still lost, and then looked back at Mal. Jack followed his gaze. "What's he saying?" He asked Mal in a whisper. Mal waved him off.
"Not for him," She told Willowly. "Someone similar. Can you help us?"
The smith cleared his throat. "I actually might have something, but we'd want to make a few adjustments for a winter spirit. He beckoned Mal into the house, shoving the door into an automatic latch to prop it open. Inside, various types of trees grew with bindings on them to ensure they grew into different shapes. Mal saw trees with spiraled branches and ones that started thinner and grew thicker, and some in every color imaginable. Vibrant blue woods, rosy pinks, every color imaginable. Willowly ducked under them and headed into the back, where a large boulder rolled aside to reveal a closet filled with many trimmed wooden blanks. Willowly withdrew one made of birch wood that was about an inch shorter than Mal. He threw it at Jack, who fumbled and dropped his own shepherd's crook to snatch it up. A thin layer of frost coated it as he snatched it, and then Willowly took him back with a tactful eye as Jack bent to retrieve his own staff.
"This will do," He announced to Mal. "The first time she uses it, it'll learn her magic and help her control it."
The staff had grown to twist around itself in a spiral. The top had an eyelet opening about the size of Mal's palm and the wood was worn smooth down the length of the artifact. Willowly examined the opening with one eye closed – the other three focusing on the grooves – and then turned and closed himself into the closet. Mal heard a sharp thud, and then a very clear vibrating sound from the other side. When Willowly reemerged, the eyelet of the staff had been ground into a perfect circle. Mal assumed he must have some tools in the closet, though it seemed far too small to hold anything other than staffs or coats.
Willowly left his home with Mal still following. Jack hovered behind, gaping at the trees in shock and carefully warning the fairies away from touching him. He didn't want to freeze any of them accidentally. Willowly wandered through the trees until he found one that was a lemon tree. "See any dead fruits?" He asked Mal, squinting at the swaying fruits.
Mal pointed to one with a hard outside above her head and summoned it into her grasp. "Here," She offered it to the man.
Willowly smiled and immediately, without a word, returned to his house, straight back into the closet. Again, Mal heard a grinding sound, and then Willowly opened the door and presented the final product – a birch staff with a crystalized lemon in the eyelet near the top. Mal took it with a smile as Jack furrowed his brow. "A staff?" He asked. "Why do you need a staff?"
"It's not for her," Willowly advised Jack, speaking English just like the snow spirit had been this whole time. Jack's mouth dropped open and Willowly and Mal snorted at his reaction.
"I'll get back to you for compensation," Mal promised, taking the staff with two hands. "As soon as I'm back in the moorlands from war, I'll seek you out."
The smith nodded in understanding, and Mal turned her gaze to Jack. "We need to stop by Auradon Prep," She told him, "And then we'll head to Arendelle. This," she set the staff's point in the ground, "Will hopefully help Ericka correct her magic. I've been meaning to look into something for her."
Jack looked at the staff warily. It was a very delicate, feminine thing and a little less than Ericka's height. It'd probably do more than decently, if the principle carried through.
"Let's go," Mal decided, and thanked the smith. The crowd that had gathered upon Mal's arrival had dispersed, and so they left without fanfare or announcement. Mal noticed that the magic of the border was slightly weaker than when she'd last left the Moors. Not nearly as weak as when she'd first arrived, but still noticeable enough that she wouldn't be able to stay away for too much longer. Ben would have to be content with the idea she couldn't stick in Auradon for too long when she returned.
They doubled back around to Auradon Prep. She and Jack landed on the outskirts of the ancient castle. It had originally been built over three hundred years ago but converted into a school when King Adam had ascended the throne. This was where Ben had spent his time before he ascended the throne and became king. Had Mal not also become queen, she would still be here, in her second-to-last year. She'd be the only one of her friends, though, as Jay, Carlos, and Evie were all older than her.
Even though they were of the same age group of all of the students, the fact that Mal wore battle armor, had horns atop her head and wings on her back, and the fact she was, well, Mal, made it impossible for them to weave through the student body unseen. The cold wind that followed Jack and the staff Mal carried also alerted the students to their presence. People gave them a wide berth and lined up with cell phones to take photos of the two. Mal knew it wouldn't be long before word hit the high palace that the queen had returned. Not everyone could see Jack right off the bat, but the more people whispered, the more people pointed to him in awe.
Christmas trees had been put all around campus in dozens of beautiful colors. Mal smiled when she saw a beautiful purple tree underneath a lovely line of golden tinsel that hung in front of the library. Students followed behind Mal in a solemn procession as they traveled through the grounds.
Mal made her way to the Fairy Godmother's office, only to find the woman herself hurrying down the corridor to them. The two bowed to see each other as the Fairy Godmother straightened herself up and caught her breath. "I expect you have an explanation for your visit," She huffed as she righted the sleeves on her dress. "Last I heard you were on your way to the Moors, flying over Darling's Court."
Mal reached into her boot and pulled out the wand she had taken from Dama Fortuna and morphed into a new shape. Fairy Godmother's eyes grew wide and the students who had followed Mal down gasped in surprise. Mal bowed and presented the wand to the Fairy Godmother. "Consider this a gift." Mal smiled. "Thanking you for your help in saving my husband's life."
The students exchanged excited looks and chattered softly. Fairy Godmother pressed a hand to her heart. "I don't know what to say," She whispered as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Test it out," Mal said, straightening up. "It may take some getting used to, but I tried to make it as alike as the spirit of the last one. I took it from a second Fairy Godmother, by name of Dama Fortuna, who had used her magic for evil, and I turned it into this."
Fairy Godmother took the wand with two hands and waved it carefully. A small stream of glitter fell from the tip and dissipated. The purples and greens faded into the structure of the wand and were replaced with a beautiful royal blue. Fairy Godmother pressed a hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. "Thank you, dear," She whispered and opened her arms for a hug. Mal accepted and squeezed the older woman with a bright smile.
"I have one other thing," Mal said, digging in a pocket for the star which she'd snapped off the wand. "This came off Dama Fortuna's wand, and I thought of Jane." She offered it to Fairy Godmother. "I don't know what sorts of magic it possesses, but I know it has some. It's a gift for Jane. Have her experiment with it; I'm sure she'll discover what it can do."
Fairy Godmother's tears came thick and fast as she took the star from Mal. "I'll give it to her straight away." She promised. "Are you going to go home, now?"
Mal looked at Jack. "Actually, we're going to pay a quick visit to Elsa, and then I'll go home." She said. Jack shoved his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie and shifted his weight from foot to foot.
Fairy Godmother examined the white-haired teen and realization fell into her eyes. She looked at Jack, looked at the students behind her, and put on a tight smile. "Okay." She whispered. "Jack Frost, right? Tell Elsa, Ericka, and Jessie that I said hi."
Jack pulled his hoodie up and hid his face. Mal saluted the Fairy Godmother. "Will do." She promised with a laugh. The two women shook hands, and then Mal turned back towards the crowd of students in the hall. They parted as she began to walk away.
As she passed, the students dipped into bows and curtsies. Mal's cheeks turned bright red as they dropped their heads low and smiled at her. They left the main building and took to the skies once more. The sun was setting when they landed outside of Arendelle's gates. The guard atop the walls rushed to bring them inside. A thick, fresh layer of snow covered the ground inside the courtyards.
As the Chief of Guards led them towards the front doors, Mal caught movement in the upper window of the palace. Something dark blue with white hair. Mal smiled secretly at Jack.
The doors to the palace opened as the Queen herself stepped out. She wore a long, thick blue dress with gems embedded along the bodice. Soft white fur-trimmed the hem, collar, and sleeves of the dress, and a midnight blue cape that looked woven of ice, which it might have been, was draped over her shoulders. Immediately, the Chief Guard halted as Elsa looked over her guests with a bright smile. "Mal," She greeted and then nodded courteously to Jack. "And Jack Frost."
Mal rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I've already put the pieces together." She whispered as she shook Elsa's hand. "I need to see Ericka, and then I'll be on my way. I have my own beau I need to catch up with."
Surprise flashed through Elsa's eyes, but she did not comment any further. "Of course. I believe she's upstairs."
As Mal passed into the palace, Elsa looked at Jack suspiciously. Jack held up his hands and laughed. "I didn't say anything." He promised.
Kaitlyn, Anna and Kristoff's second daughter, was sliding down the banister in the entryway as a small boy sprinted after her, tripping and sliding down the steps of the stairway. Kaitlyn leaped off the banister and sprinted through Mal and Elsa as the boy picked himself up and ran after her, waving a small sword of ice. "Sorry, Aunt Elsa! Hi Jack!" Kaitlyn yelled as she rushed out of the doors with the little boy hot on her heels.
Elsa sighed. "Sorry. One of the servant's boys. Here, let me show you to Ericka." They began the ascent up the stairs. On a higher level, the royal families and servants bustled in and out of several different rooms. The floor was slick with ice. Some paused to bow to Mal, but most only gave Jack a casual wave and failed to notice her. "Hi, Jack." Someone said, slipping around him with a basket of toys for the nursery. "Sup'Jack." "Excuse me, Jack."
Apparently, the Arendellian palace was in on the Queen's secret. Mal couldn't believe that no one had ever let it slip to the outside world.
Princess Anna rushed down the hall suddenly, screaming. She tripped and slid right past Mal and Elsa, down the stairs and into the entryway. Jack held out a hand as she slid down the stairs, and they high-fived. "Hi, Ja-a-a-a-ck!" Anna yelled as she thumped down the stairs.
A large shadow appeared from where Anna had appeared. It was Kristoff, who was soaked to the bone. He rushed to the balcony and shook his fist at Anna as she giggled and ran out the door to freedom. "I'll get you back!" He vowed as he turned and glimpsed their guests. For several seconds, he looked too embarrassed to move. Then he sighed, bowed, and muttered: "Hello, your highness. Sorry, Elsa. Hi Jack."
Jack waved from behind the two queens. Mal just laughed and didn't bother to correct him on his use of 'her highness'. An argument for another day, perhaps. Elsa covered her face in embarrassment and led the laughing teens through the hall and to a very large ornate door, painted white with snowflakes and pine trees painted on the outside. Elsa knocked. "Ericka?" She called. "The Queen of Auradon has come to see you."
The door immediately opened. Ericka slipped out, looking surprised. "Hello," She said. Her hair was braided in the same fashion as Elsa's. She smoothed her dress down and stepped out into the hall. Her eyes lit up when she saw her dad. "Oh, hello, Jack."
Mal finally snorted. "You can call him dad around me if you want. I won't tell anyone." She held the lemon staff out for Ericka. "This is for you." She said.
Ericka's eyes grew large. "What?" She asked. Behind Mal, Elsa's hands fell to her sides.
"I have a feeling you're more like Jack in your magic," Mal explained. "Here. Try it out." She waited for Ericka to take the staff. Jack rose off the ground with his face frozen in wonder and curiosity. No one said anything as Ericka reached forward and wrapped her fingers around the wooden staff.
Ice spread down the length of the wood the moment she brushed her fingers on it. The frost traveled up and wove around the lemon eye of the staff. Mal smiled. "Looks like I was right." She smiled. "Anyway, lemons! A winter fruit. It comes straight from the moors, which is why the lemon has been crystallized instead of decaying."
Ericka looked enchanted. She tapped the staff on the ground and beautiful frost patterns spread out across the carpet. Elsa gave her a stern look at the blatant misuse of carpeting. "Thank you so much," Ericka whispered as she conjured a snowflake in her palm. "I can't believe how much… easier it is."
"It would be." Mal nodded. "Some people just work easier with staffs. Fairy Godmother can't work without a wand, you know."
Ericka stared at the staff in wonder and then Jumped forward to hug Mal tightly. Mal stiffened, and then hugged her back with a little smile. "Anyways." She sighed, brushing her hair back. "I'll leave you to experiment with your powers. Elsa, Jack, you've got a great girl. I'll show myself out."
Elsa smiled brightly at Mal. "Thank you, Queen Mal." She whispered, and then watched Ericka conjure a flurry in her hand.
Mal waved her off. "Jack, should we try to head back to the overland in like, four days?" She raised an eyebrow for approval
Jack immediately landed and frowned. "Actually, Mal, we have a problem. Eris has been coming out less and less since you got Helena. Now that we got Dama Fortuna and Pitch, her partner, I doubt she'll come back out. We can go in, but if she closes the barrier, we'll be trapped there forever. Only someone with the same powers as her can go in or out, and we already finished Helena's powers for good."
Mal let out an exhale. Someone with the same powers... the same powers. Immediately, someone came to mind.
Ben was going to be mad.
She gave Jack a smile and a thumb's up. "I have an idea. We'll talk about it later. Bye Jack. Have a nice time with the family." She headed back down the chaotic hallway, dodging past servants who whispered apologies and the two other kids. Abigail and Jessie were rushing around with dolls in superhero costumes. Abigail paused to wave at Mal as Mal hurried down the stairs and out the still-open doors.
Anna of Arendelle, Kristoff, Kaitlyn and her friend all rushed around, laughing and sliding through the fresh snow outside. Poor Kristoff looked half-solid as he shivered in his wet clothes. Mal called upon her wings and took to the skies, leaving all the members of the Arendelle royal family behind.
Snow covered Beast's castle and all of the ground surrounding it. Inside the quiet family room, the fire was blazing up and the tree was decorated, visible from the window. About thirty-odd snowflakes covered the walls and the doors into the family room. Ben stood on the balcony in a warm sweater and black slacks. He was slowly coming back to himself. It was a process, he was finding, and he still refused to use his new powers, but at least he was able to comb his hair away from his eyes in the morning. Baby steps, he told himself. One step at a time. Close your eyes in the shower so you can't see the sand go down the drain. Put gel in your hair so sand doesn't fall out of it. Everything will be okay.
The family room was empty, and the only light came from the tree and the fire. Ben had hauled the projects he was working on all the way from his office to work of them while he stood on the balcony, waiting.
The night grew dark and the skies grew grey. Thick clouds appeared, and the air grew frigid. Ben shivered as he scribbled and wrote. He was still developing the idea of a council to support the crown. Audrey had already taken her idea to her parents, and they were going to start making changes upon the new year.
Ben knew that Mal had returned to Auradon. He'd finally abandoned his phone in his room when new pictures of the Fairy Godmother with her wand had started to blow up the news app. He had no idea that Jane had received what would become known as the Asteri, which could literally project metaphysical thoughts upon the physical world according to the holder's imagination. If Jane could see a box falling off a shelf in her head, it would fall so long as she held the star. It was very complex magic, and it would take a lot of work for Jane to perfect since she had to imagine every single detail of the subject she wished to summon or move - not to mention every motion she wished, or it would glitch out of reality. Eventually she would get to the point she could imagine a flock of birds into and out of existence. He had no idea of the lemon staff Mal had gifted to Ericka and had no idea that Pitch Black had been chained to the top of the forbidden mountains. All he knew was that she'd returned to Auradon and he was hoping she'd come straight to him.
As he drew a line through a bit of script he had written and grumbled under his breath, he heard the beating of wings. He looked up into the clouds with a smile. A fleck of white fell onto his cheek. He studied the outline of the clouds and watched the outline of an angel with horns appear. She gradually took on color until she was before him, descending down onto the balcony with a bright smile. She hovered on the railing and then stepped down onto the platform.
"Fancy seeing you." He breathed as her wings shrank into her shoulders.
"Fancy seeing you." She returned. She stepped forward and his arms went around her. He could see her breath in the air. As the snow fell around them, Mal pressed her mouth to Ben's and his hands went into her hair, where they breezed past the scalp besides her horns and rested at the base of her heavy ivory attachments. Despite her lips being pressed onto his, he couldn't stop smiling. When they withdrew, she put her arms around his neck and whispered: "You didn't think I wouldn't stop by, did you?" She began to kiss his neck where his shoulder met.
He smiled as she drew her tongue and fingers past the sensitive, malformed skin on his neck, taking advantage of the scales, and squeezed her close to him. "Was beginning to wonder." He whispered.
Ben buried his face in her hair, mindful of her horns, as snow fell around them. Eventually he'd have to lead her inside, but for now, things were great as they were.
Mal balanced the phone to her ear as she and Ben laid on the couch together. He laid his head carefully on her stomach as she called Audrey. Mal rolled her eyes. The other end clicked.
"Hello?" Audrey asked.
"Hello, this is Isle Residency District calling on an inquiry of the future of the kingdom of Auroria?" Mal said with a smile.
"You absolute brat! How long have you been in Auradon now? I've literally been waiting two hours for you to call and you went all the way to Arendelle first?" Audrey howled with a smile in her tone. Mal heard something cloth hit the floor on the other end of the line.
"Sorry, had to deliver a few very important items." Mal smiled. "But I'm here now. Ben said you're reorganizing Auroria?" She started combing her fingers through Ben's hair as he skimmed his over her stomach. Mal ignored the churning in her heart as he relaxed.
"Yeah, and I need to talk to you." Audrey let out a breath.
Before she could continue, Mal jumped in. "You want to stay on the Isle." She said.
"Yeah," Audrey admitted, sounding a bit deflated. "But… I don't want to leave my parents behind. Is there any way I can go back and forth just a little bit?"
"We have the ships." Mal shrugged. "or you could get your own boat and I could write you some sort of permit to go through the barrier and back. Whatever you like."
"Are you going to let people move to Auradon then?" Audrey asked.
"You're a special case." Mal objected. "I think I'll handle it case-by-case like I told Ben. Villains can't come over unless they can get someone to vouch for them. Otherwise, week-by-week visitation is the best I'll work for, but I won't do that until the Isle is completely stable, which is happening a lot quicker than I thought it would. The Isle was long overready for some leadership."
"That's smart," Audrey commented. "Okay. And Mal? Thank you."
"No problem, Audrey. Are your parents okay with you leaving?" Mal switched the phone to her other ear as her neck was getting a cramp. Ben's eyes drifted closed as he laid on top of her.
"So long as Dad checks out the apartment and I have my knife, they're okay with it. They still haven't grasped the idea that there's literally zero crime on the Isle and everyone is sick of violence." Audrey explained.
"They're worried. I get it." Mal nodded. "Hey, I have one more thing to offer you. I haven't asked Ben about it, but I have a feeling he'll go along with me." At her words, Ben opened one eye and tilted his head to hear her better. "If your kids or even if your grandkids decide they want to come back and live in Auroria, we'll let them move back with the same status you'll hold on the Isle. Just, you know, for the future."
Audrey laughed. "That won't be happening for a long time, Mal. I just want to hang out and go to parties. Have fun! You know?"
"Yeah, I get it." Mal nodded. "Waiting is a good thing to do. But just in case one day you start to worry. Kay?" She parted Ben's hair just above his ear as he wrinkled his nose and closed his eye again. He didn't seem to have any objections.
"Kay, thank you, Mal. For everything. I really mean it this time." Audrey let out a breath of pure, unabashed happiness.
Mal hesitated. She paused in her playing with Ben's hair and then said: "Yeah, no one will ever say I'm not a passionate woman again, huh?" She chuckled, quoting Audrey from what she'd said last Valentine's day.
Ben sat up and gave Mal a scandalized look. Mal held up a hand to stop him saying anything as she heard Audrey take a breath on the other end of the line. "Oh my gosh." She gasped. "You know about that? Oh, this is so embarrassing. I can't believe I did that."
"I was right around the corner when you said it. Followed Ben all the way up to our room and he cried. I'm only bringing it up now because I want you to know we've both made peace with it. Okay?" Mal smiled softly.
"I owe you a serious apology," Audrey said. "That was…"
"Evil?" Mal suggested.
"It was," Audrey whispered.
"Well, don't worry about it anymore. Ben and I have the highest confidence in you, Audrey. You're going to be amazing." Mal promised her.
Audrey exhaled. "I have a lot I need to make up for." She sighed.
"Saving my life wasn't enough?" Mal snorted.
"You saved mine too," Audrey replied.
The smile fell off of Mal's face and she was abruptly sad. Mal sniffled and wiped at her eyes as they filled with tears. "That's really nice, Audrey." She said. "But seriously, don't worry about it. In terms of debts, you've more than made up for everything by helping me with the Isle. Kay?"
Audrey didn't say anything. She only hummed. "I'm going to go and talk to my parents now." She whispered to Mal. "See you later?"
"Yeah." Mal sniffed. "I think I'm going to call Cinderella tomorrow and see if we can take Rob Paulsen to his new home."
"Maybe I can do the same thing at the same time?" Audrey asked. "There's not a lot of things left here that I need." Mal heard something scrape on the other end.
"Maybe I can convince Ben to come down and help me?" Mal raised an eyebrow at her husband, who was still sitting up with a deep frown.
"I think I can manage. As I said, there's barely anything here I use anymore. But he'd be nice company. I want to introduce him to Jarrett."
"You and him, huh?" Mal asked with a smile, remembering the son of Hans and his disastrous attempt at wooing Audrey.
"Sort of?" Audrey trailed off with a giggle.
Mal laughed. "Well. You have fun with that. I'm going to let you go then."
"Bye Mal."
"Bye Audrey."
Mal hung up the phone and put it on the side table. "I can't believe you brought that up to her," Ben scolded her.
"I don't want her to sit on it for the next twenty years. It's easier we forget it all now." Mal answered.
"She probably feels awful." Ben frowned.
"Nope." Mal refuted. "She's happy and laughing. I was just on the phone with her, Ben. You know she doesn't hide her feelings very easily."
"True." Ben subsided. He sighed and laid back down. His hands fell on her midsection protectively, and Mal swallowed.
"You don't have to be so clingy. They're okay," she mumbled, trying to find a place to rest her hands on his shoulders.
Ben curled his ear a little inwards and then slipped a hand inside her shirt to rest on her belly. "I just like knowing that they're there." He whispered, closing his eyes. "I want to protect them."
"They're inside me. Nothing's going to hurt them." Mal sighed. Ben's face crinkled a little, and then he relaxed on top of her frame, cheek against her ribcage as he traced little patterns on her belly.
"Want to come with me to the Isle tomorrow?" Mal asked, running her thumb on top of the groove on his chin, which made him crinkle his nose again like he was about to sneeze.
Ben groaned. "You leave and go. Can't we just… slow down? Take off work? Don't you need a day? I need a day."
Mal laughed. It had been her begging him for a break, once upon a time. "Well, we have a whole day tomorrow. Come on, you haven't gone since you were kidnapped by Uma. Speaking of which, I have to show you her and Harry. They're adorable now that they're not trying to kill me."
"Bringing up me getting captured and then mentioning I'll see the people who ran that escapade is not a great way to convince me, Mal." Ben sighed. He sat up, swung his legs off the couch and sat back. His posture was still sagging, defeated.
"Come on, Ben." Mal rolled her eyes, sitting on her knees and rubbing his shoulder. "You get to be in the sunshine, out of the castle, down in the sand." She paused, then tilted her head. "Has Cinderella called about Rob Paulsen at all?"
Ben shook his head. "No," he mumbled. "But Audrey sent a message saying they'd found him and he'd asked to go to the Isle."
"Well, we could do that tomorrow," Mal suggested. "And maybe even let Cinderella bring Dizzy back to Auradon. You'd like that."
Ben was silent. "Okay." He nodded. "I do want to see that."
Mal kissed his head. "Great. Now that you've agreed to one thing, I need to spring something else on you."
"Yeah?" Ben asked. He let his eyes close again as he leaned back into the couch cushion.
"We're not going to be able to defeat Eris without you," Mal told him. Maybe it was a bit harsh to spring the news on him like that, but it was probably best to just get it over with, right?
Ben sat back up. "Meaning…?" He asked slowly.
Mal winced. "We need you to come up with us to Tartarus and help us in the realm of chaos using your sand powers." She admitted.
Ben slumped forward and let his head drop. "I don't want to use them." He sighed. "Using them means that I have to acknowledge I have them."
Not acknowledging powers? Mal frowned. For a king who spent a few months researching what happened to magic-possessing people who didn't use their magic, he should know way better than to do that. Mal swung her legs off the couch and rubbed his back. "I know. But I promise, if you do this for me, I'll find some way to make it up to you." Ben didn't say anything. He just pulled her onto his legs and hugged her frame tight to his.
"Alright." He whispered. "I'll talk to mom and dad. Okay?"
Mal kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She whispered. Ben didn't say anything more. He moved her even closer to him and leaned his head on her shoulders. Mal watched the way he chewed on his cheek and frowned. "You're going to be okay?" She asked.
Ben didn't answer. He turned her head to his and they began kissing as if she hadn't said anything at all. His hands moved carefully at her hips, drawing her even closer. Mal didn't protest much. It had been ages since they'd touched each other like this, and pretty soon she'd have to leave again. So for now, she let his hands slip around on her frame and she let him kiss her and love her, and didn't move when, later on in the evening, he turned his affections to her midsection and began murmuring sweet nothings to someone who couldn't even hear them yet, though bitterness filled her soul.
She had to get over this. She needed to get over this. It wasn't a bad thing, it wasn't anything she couldn't comprehend. She just couldn't understand why it grated at her soul.
Ben was overjoyed. Ben was happy. And Mal should be overjoyed. She liked kids. She liked Madison and Jessie and all the kids on the Isle. But for some reason, she couldn't find any affection for the one child she really should care about - her own.
Ben's breath fell on her shoulder as he started to mess with her outfit, casting the impression he wanted it off. Mal squeezed her arms to her stomach, swallowed the bile rising up her throat, and turned to meet him face-on.
Mal fell asleep about five minutes after he finished making love to her. Gone were the nights where they'd lie apart, never touching. Gone were the nights he'd lay awake, observing her beauty and wishing she loved him like he loved her. Most nights now, they stayed up talking and falling deeper in love with each other. It was easy - especially on nights like these when she felt open to letting him touch her - to put her to sleep by touching her hair and massaging her scalp until her eyes closed and she drifted away.
That had been several minutes ago. She was facing the window, body bare underneath their sheets, fast asleep with her chest rising and falling like a boat on waves. Ben was combing through her hair and keeping his frame flush against Mal's body, relishing in her warmth. As he traced the bare skin at the hairline behind her ears, he recalled the first nights they'd slept in here, where Mal would eye him distrustfully and there would always be at least two feet of space between them. He liked this a lot better.
Mal sighed a little in her sleep and Ben's heart warmed. God, he loved this woman.
But, granted, love was no excuse for using her to distract himself from his problems. It didn't matter that she was doing the same thing and kissing and touching him to simply try to forget that she was pregnant. Ben knew he couldn't keep using Mal and Mal's mouth and looks and body to forget about the fact he wasn't... human anymore.
Ben exhaled, slumping into his pillows. He kept trying to tell himself that it was better this way - he was alive, with Mal, and their baby was fine, and it was good that he was still around to take care of Auradon. But in truth, he couldn't help wondering if he would be better off dead.
Immediately, guilt wracked his mind. As cruel as it had been to make Mal a teenaged bride to someone of his age and then follow that up by getting her pregnant, it would have been more cruel to leave her a distraught, widowed, single teen mom with three kingdoms to take care of, a war up north, and no confident. He needed to be here. And other people besides Mal would need him. He was pretty sure that the kingdom would riot if Mal suddenly took over. The army needed their leader, and his parents needed their son, and his future son or daughter would need their dad in their lives.
Ben rolled over and draped an arm across his wife's side. Her skin was soft and even though there wasn't any moonlight coming through the window, she was giving off a faint glow. His beautiful magic Isle wife. He ran his fingers down her spine and then wrapped his arms around her, jostling her frame a tad as he did. Carefully, he laid his hands out on her belly, feeling for any nonexistent swelling. Mal hated this when she was awake, so he relished it while she was asleep and mostly dead to the world. Even in her sleep, her face twisted in minor discomfort. Ben exhaled as he watched her wrinkle her forehead. He sighed and buried his nose into her bare shoulder. Every inch of her skin felt like an extension of himself.
"Beautiful, beautiful girl," Ben mumbled, running his knuckles up and down her stomach. It was twisted irony that he loved touching her stomach, knowing their child was underneath her skin, infinetely more than she did despite the fact it was her body. Ben pressed three gentle kisses down her neck and then closed his eyes to relish in her presence. Her scent, wrapping him up, her hair, pressed against his cheek, and her body, feeling perfect against his.
"We're pretty messed up," He whispered in her ear. "You don't want our baby and I wish I had died." Tears prickled his eyes as he pressed Mal against him. "What are we going to do, sweetheart?"
Mal called Queen Ella early that morning, and she met them on the docks with Rob Paulsen in tow. Mal was filled in on the details as they headed onto the ship. They weren't pretty – Rob had been chased out of his home by villagers who were angry he continued to attack the idea of the Isle of the Lost. His business deeds and home had been confiscated and pawned through some barely-legal measures that Cinderella would have to look into by herself. When Rob had tried to journey to the palace for help, robbers on the road had taken the last of his possessions and forced him back into the village. Rob had dwelt under a bridge, arranging bouquets and selling these, and developing a deep disgust of everything Auradon. Now, he was ready to leave it all behind.
Rob was a very large man with broad shoulders and bright blonde hair. He was about twice Mal's size. He wore a tan shirt and blue cloth pants, held a clean white apron underneath his arm, and a handmade bouquet in his hands. Other than that, he was coming to the Isle completely empty-handed.
Audrey arrived second to the docks with her parents in tow. She had a large suitcase, similar to Ben's travel case that Mal had completely forgotten to bring back from the Overland, and was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, thick pants, and boots. Aurora and Phillip were dressed a little more preppily, but this was their first trip to the Isle. They didn't know what to expect. Mal shook both of their hands and led her little group up the gangplank.
Jarrett was waiting when the ship docked. As Audrey came down the gangplank with her suitcase, his whole face lit up. He jumped into the air and waved to make sure she'd see him. "You did it?" He asked excitedly. "You're really going to stay here?"
Audrey laughed and gave him a gigantic hug. He squeezed her tightly, then took her face as if he was about to kiss her. He didn't though, because Audrey took his hand and turned him around. "Jarrett, this is my mom and dad, the king and queen of Auroria."
Jarrett's joyful expression subsided somewhat, but he outstretched a hand to shake King Phillips. "Pleased to meet you." He greeted the king. "I swear, if you let your daughter stay, I'll knock out anyone who tries to hurt her."
Audrey rolled her eyes. "I can look out for myself." She said primly. "Mom, dad, Jarrett is a son of Hans. He lives in building four."
"Where do you live?" Aurora asked with a smile. She was taking this a lot better than Phillip was.
"Building three. I have an apartment on the top floor." Audrey turned to Queen Ella. "Anastasia and Dizzy are just below me, actually. Let's all head there now." She took Jarrett's hand and wheeled her suitcase behind her as she walked. Ben held out his arm for Mal. She took it with a graceful smile. Queen Ella and Rob walked alone, her fidgeting with her hands and looking around at all the small buildings, and he carefully rearranging the flowers he was holding.
As they passed into building three, Harry Hook and Uma walked out. Ben's mouth dropped open. "Harry, Uma!" He exclaimed. The two former pirates looked up at his unfamiliar voice.
"Oh, hey… fella?" Uma trailed off uncertainly. She looked good. Her hair was even brighter, with bold white streaks and even hints of yellow here and there. Harry had matching white streaks in his bangs. The two were clean, dressed in warm, matching brown sweaters, and wearing leather moccasins. Harry's hook was missing.
"Sorry, you don't remember me, right?" Ben quickly amended. "I'm Ben." He gestured to Mal. "Mal's husband."
At Mal's name, Harry's eyes lit up. "Mal!" He exclaimed. "Is Audrey with you as well?" He asked.
"Audrey's behind you." Mal pointed behind his shoulder. "You two were so busy talking to each other you walked past her." Harry looked over his shoulder and waved to Audrey with a smile.
"Aye." Harry nodded. "It's easy to miss the world going by when you're looking at yours." He said, staring at Uma.
Uma's cheeks turned red. "Well, hopefully, you can use that excuse when you're suddenly an old man, Harry."
Harry took Uma's hands. It was odd to see Harry without his telltale hook. "You make me feel young." He whispered. Uma squeaked in response.
"You guys are cute." Mal raised an eyebrow.
Harry smiled at Mal. "Aye, she is." He crooned, running a hand through Uma's hair. "Thank you, Mal. You were right. I love her a lot."
Uma covered her face with her hands to hide her blush.
"Do you still have your paper, Harry?" Mal asked, thinking back to Harry's venomous hate of her.
"Aye." Harry nodded. "It's up in my room." He pointed skywards.
"Along with your hook?" Mal asked. "I'd hate for you to lose it. You loved it so much back when you were on the Lower part of the Isle."
Harry nodded. "Up in the closet." He said carelessly. "I check on them every day."
"Have you gotten them recorded?" Audrey suggested. "You should do that in case they get lost or stolen."
"Aye." Harry nodded. "All is well." He took Uma's hand again.
"All is well." Uma agreed. She turned to Mal. "I have so much to thank you for Mal. Whatever you helped me forget, it must have been really bad."
Mal jumped back as if she'd been slapped. "Oh, um, don't thank me actually. Some of it was actually my fault, and this is my way of apologizing. I hope things are a lot better for you than they were."
"I'm sure they are." Uma smiled. "Everyone we've talked to has said that the Isle was horrible. And lately more people have been coming up to the gates, and they look like they need help. Are you going to let them in?"
"I'm working on something for them." Mal nodded. "It's just been a bit… busy with the war and everything."
"I understand," Uma smiled. "Well, it was nice talking to you, but Harry and I are going to head out now. We have a maths class we'll be late for if we don't hurry."
"Have… fun." Mal waved as Uma and Harry went off, with their hands swinging in between them. Mal shook her head. "It's still so bizarre to have them… like me." She admitted.
Ben nodded. "That was a bit disorienting." He agreed.
"I hope Harry doesn't hate me to pieces when he gets his memories back," Mal whispered.
Ben rubbed her hands. "I'm sure everything will be fine." He whispered. Mal smiled at him. Audrey started to continue on to the building, and everyone followed her.
By the third floor, Ella, Ben, Aurora, and Phillip were huffing and puffing from all the stairs. Ben had a proper excuse since he was still recovering from almost dying at the beginning of November, but Ella, Aurora, and Phillip weren't used to all the stairs so close together. Mal and Audrey pinched their lips shut and didn't say anything.
Rob's head almost brushed the ceiling as he followed along at the end of the group. When they hit the fourth floor, he asked: "Do you know what room it is?"
Mal nodded. "One-twenty-nine." She told him.
"We'll wait here while you take Ella and Rob down," Audrey suggested.
"You can head up if you want." Mal shrugged. "We'll catch up. One-Eighty, right?"
Audrey nodded, and they continued up the last flight of stairs. Ben, Mal, Rob, and Ella walked down the corridor. Rob counted aloud to himself as they walked. "One-forty-one, One-thirty-nine, One-thirty-seven." He whispered, pointing at each of the doors as they walked past.
A door opened and a little girl with pink hair sprinted out with a backpack. "Bye, mom!" She called. She skidded to a stop when she saw Mal and curtsied with a cheery: "Hi Queen Mal!" before she continued her sprint down to the stairwell.
Mal checked her watch. "School started an hour ago." She mentioned, then shrugged. "Oh well. People are still getting in the groove of things." She shut the little girl's door for her mom.
"One-thirty-one." Rob counted, then stopped in front of a black door with red numbers on it. "One-twenty-nine." He breathed.
Mal patted his shoulder. "Want me to knock, or do you want to?" She asked. Rob immediately stepped back and gestured for Mal to go ahead. The purplette stepped up and rapped quickly on the door. She heard music coming from the other side and smiled at Ben. "Isle music." She laughed. "I don't think you've ever heard it before."
The door opened. It was Dizzy, who was tucking her black gloves into her apron and brushing her hands off. Music carried out into the hall. Ben raised his eyebrow when he heard the words 'Chillin like a Villain' blare out into the corridor. When Dizzy saw who was calling, her face broke into a smile. "Mal!" She screamed excitedly, jumping forward and throwing her arms around the queen. "Hi, Queen Ella." Dizzy waved behind Mal's back.
"Oof, careful Dizzy," Mal groaned as she fumbled for her balance for a second. "You're going to make me throw up again. Can I use your bathroom?"
Everyone chuckled as Dizzy carefully withdrew herself. Ben threw his hands up into the air behind his wife. "Take down guardians and fight goddesses, no problem, but if she gets hugged…" He muttered angrily.
"The bathroom's down the hall if you need it." Dizzy chuckled. "Who's this?" She looked at Rob curiously.
"Thanks." Mal rolled her eyes. "This, Dizzy would be your uncle Rob. Anastasia's husband. He's come to the Isle to live with her."
Dizzy held out a hand and eagerly shook Rob's. "I'm so excited to meet you." She exclaimed. Rob gave her a sad smile.
"And Dizzy," Mal said quickly. "I have one other thing I need to discuss with you, but first, could you please go and fetch your Aunt?"
"Yeah." Dizzy agreed. "Be right back." She disappeared back into the apartment, leaving the door open.
"What an enthusiastic little girl." Rob hummed.
"Yeah, she's a keeper." Mal chuckled.
Anastasia appeared in the doorway, pulling off another pair of stained gloves. She wiped her face, leaving a stain of white behind, and then looked up. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh!" She exclaimed. She launched forward and threw her arms around Rob. "Oh, Rob!" She exclaimed.
Rob picked her up off the ground and spun her in a circle. He kissed her soundly and pressed the flowers into her hands. Anastasia was blushing like a new bride. Ella made a small sound in the back of her throat. "Anastasia." She whispered. "Your hair…"
Anastasia smiled and ran her fingers through her hair. "Dizzy did it." She explained. It was a dark brown with pretty light highlights. "Oh, Cinderella, thank you." She stepped away from Rob just to give Ella a quick hug.
"Oh," Ella's face fell. "Actually, I just go by Ella now, remember?"
"Oh, that's right." Anastasia nodded as she returned to Rob's embrace. "Sorry. I'm glad you went back to it. It's a pretty name." She glimpsed Mal then. "Oh, Mal, you're absolutely glowing!" She exclaimed.
Mal felt her face with a confused look. "Really?" She asked. "I actually haven't used magic today at all."
Ben elbowed her. "Hormones." He told her. "They give you clearer skin. People call it a glow." At his description, Mal's face soured.
Anastasia took Rob's hand. "I've got to show you around the place. Come on inside. I think Dizzy is just finishing up the customer I was helping. Do you have anything to put away?"
Rob shook his head and followed his wife inside their apartment. Mal followed, and after a moment, so did Ben and Ella.
In the living room was a hair chair and a large mirror with lots of different products and tools lined up on a table pushed up beside the window. A woman was getting her hair dyed dark brown with white streaks. White streaks seemed to be popular. Harry, Uma, and now this person.
A beautifully patterned rug was on the floor beside the hair chair. Not near enough for anything to accidentally be dropped on it, but close enough to act as decoration for the small room. Mal patted Ben's arm. "I need to use the restroom," she whispered.
As she disappeared down the hall, the woman in the chair opened her eyes and realized she was in a room with the king of Auradon. She jumped up and clenched her fingers around the armrests of the chair. "Calm down." Dizzy soothed. "He's just dropping off my uncle."
"We're here to talk to you too," Ben told Dizzy. "We have something important we need to talk with you about."
"Give me five minutes to let me finish this customer up," Dizzy said. She began to pin the woman's hair atop her head, so she could dry it with a dryer chair pushed up on the opposite side of the mirror. She helped her up out of the chair, guided her to the second one, and started it up for her before she made her way to the sink and began to scrub the dye off of her gloves. "What did you want to talk about?" She asked Ben.
Mal appeared from back down the hall, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Sorry." She apologized. "Dizzy, do you have a moment?"
"Mal, we got it." Ben rolled his eyes.
"Oh, sorry." Mal leaned onto Ben's arm and he pulled her into his grip, pinching her side a little.
"Dizzy, you remember Queen Ella, right?" Ben gestured to Ella, who was twisting her hands and smiling nervously. Dizzy nodded and waved to the older woman with a bright smile. "She recently lost her son and is looking to get another child, which is something she's always wanted," Ben explained in a wonderous, hushed tone. "And she came to Mal and asked if it'd be okay to ask if you wanted to be adopted by her."
Dizzy's eyes grew huge. "Really?" She asked in a hushed tone.
Ella nodded and crouched down a little. "You could come to Auradon, and go to Auradon Prep. Evie, your friend, is at Auradon Accelerated, where you can go in a few years if you want. And later, you'll have the opportunity to decide if you want to be the queen of Cinderellasburg and Charmington."
Dizzy pressed her palms to her eyes. Ben and Mal exchanged a small smile. "What do you say?" Mal whispered.
"Yes!" Dizzy nodded. She hurried to Queen Ella and wrapped her up in a bone-crushing hug. "I can't wait! Do you have any flowers where you live? What was your son's name? Can I still do crafts and hair at all?" Dizzy paused for a breath and frowned. "I don't know if I'd want to be a queen." She confessed. "That sounds really, really hard."
"That's okay." Queen Ella smiled. "I don't want you to feel like you have to be one."
"Ella," Mal said, tilting her head to the side. "There were a number of misplaced children on the Isle, who I think were placed with a general volunteer guardian in one of the larger family homes outside. We could stop by on the way out and you could take home two children instead of one. Only if you're comfortable, and if Charming would be okay with it."
Ella's eyes lit up. "I'd like to stop if only to see all the kids." She admitted. She looked at Dizzy. "Are you okay with that?" She asked.
Dizzy nodded excitedly. "I've always wanted siblings! I can't wait!"
Ella looked at Mal. "Is there any paperwork I need to fill out, or anything?"
"Nope." Mal shook her head. "I'll have either Evelyn or Eliza label her as gone and we'll mark off any possessions she takes with her."
"There won't be much," Dizzy said. "Most of the things Aunt Anastasia will still need to run the shop. Oh!" Her face fell. "I didn't ask if it'd be okay with her if I left! What if she needs me?"
"Go and ask." Ella prompted. "But don't forget; she won't be alone."
Dizzy took off down the hall as the song changed in the shop. Ben gave the speaker, which was one of the items Mal had repaired, an odd look. "What is this music?" He asked.
Mal laughed. "Listen closely." She told him.
Ben furrowed his brow as the opening bars led into the first verse, and looked back at Mal. "Is this you?" He asked in surprise.
"They say I'm evil, and that makes me glad." Mal sang along in response. Ben could also pick out Jay, Evie, and Carlos's voices, all singing about how bad they were.
"I can't believe it," Ben said. "You used to make music?"
"Not really." Mal wrinkled her nose. "It was more like… a calling card. We sang it whenever we were going around making things hard for other people. People heard it and associated it with a sign of our power."
"Rotten to the Core?" Ben asked with a deadpan expression. "That was your calling card?"
"We later revamped it." Mal slipped out from under his arm and headed to see if she could change the song. "Then our calling card became 'Long Live Evil'. I had a logo I spray painted on everything."
"Yeah, I think I saw that when we went to the Isle." Ben nodded. "Jay snickered about it."
"He was probably thinking about how much of a one-eighty my personality had done since then." Mal shrugged. "I bet I could still rule with a spray can. Here."
The speaker stopped in the middle of the 'Rotten to the Core' song and started in the middle of a new one.
"W-I-C-K-E-D!" Mal and her friends yelled from the speaker. "We've got all the ways to be! W-I-C-K-E-D! Apple, apple, dip, dip. Wanna try it? Tick-Tick. Take a bite, come on be bold. Change the way the story's told!"
Ben held up his hands in sarcastic surrender. Mal laughed. "I had a solo song too." She changed the song again and spread her arms as the first lines started. "Everybody seen my sunlight, everybody seen my shine. But they don't know my story; they don't know what's on my mind." Ben rolled his eyes as she continued to hum. "I carry on like a princess but man, I've got 'em fooled. Cause underneath my business I am cold, I'm hard, I'm cruel."
"Whatever." Ben scoffed. "Cold, hard, and cruel? Yeah, that's not what you sounded like at all last night." The moment the words left his mouth, he was slapping a hand over it. Mal began to crack up. "On the phone!" He quickly specified, turning to a red-faced, thoroughly-amused Queen Ella. "She was on the phone with Audrey and – ugh!" Ben began to walk out of the room, back towards the door with the tips of his ears burning.
Dizzy came back down the hall with Anastasia and Rob following. "She said yes!" Dizzy exclaimed as she jumped into Ella's grasp.
Mal started backing towards the door as the queen's expression faded to awe. "We need to go catch up with the rest of our group. Ella, can we run upstairs and grab everyone really quick?"
Ella gave a bright, tearful smile. "Don't embarrass the boy too badly." She quipped. Mal laughed and slipped back out of the apartment as both Dizzy and Ella began to cry, exchanging little plans and idea of what their new lives in Auradon were going to be like.
"I'm gonna find some trouble – trouble." She sang along to the fading bars as she slung an arm through Ben's. "I'm gonna make some trouble – trouble."
"Ugh." Ben rolled his eyes as he covered his cheeks. "Where's Ella?"
"Getting Dizzy's things together. We're coming back." Mal smiled. "Are you going to die of embarrassment?"
"That was Cinderella." Ben hissed. "One of the most famous of all the royalty in Auradon and – ugh!" He covered his face with his hands.
Mal laughed. "Come on then. Let's get this party started."
Ben slipped an arm around Mal's and they walked down the corridor together, swaying side by side and laughing whenever the echoes of Mal's old songs reached their ears.