An hour or so later on the very same day, the Core Four were sitting at the picnic area during lunch time. None of them really spoke since there was a tense atmosphere around them. The three friends thought it was best to keep quiet so Mal could have a few moments of peace to control her emotions. Within a few minutes she was back to her 'normal' attitude, though she was picking at her food in disgust, still too glum to eat anything.
Everything was actually pretty boring at the moment—
Until someone decided to break the quietness.
"Mal, you are my hero!" Aziz proclaimed while taking the vacant seat across from her at the picnic table. "If I was straight and you weren't dating my best friend, I'd definitely kiss you."
Jay, who was sitting on the table's edge, raised an offended eyebrow at his boyfriend. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, you know I love you," Aziz insisted in a teasing tone. "I'm just so happy!"
"What exactly are you happy about?" Mal curiously interrogated. "All I did was have a mental breakdown and punched Chad."
"Exactly! You broke his jaw!" Aziz exclaimed cheerily. "One of the parents that came today is a doctor and they said a bracket is going to have to be installed until the bones fuse back together, which could take up to eight weeks! That means the bastard can't play Tourney for that long! His parents may make that time even longer!"
Evie, who was seated next to the Auradon thief, tilted her head curiously at the last statement. "Why is that? I thought his parents believed his every word."
"They used to," Aziz corrected, his cheery attitude suddenly changing into a more saddened one. "It turns out, his family knew about him seeing Audrey behind Ben's back, but had no idea about the baby. They were pissed when Queen Leah told them the truth, because she was the only one they believed. They were scolding the bastard so harshly that I didn't think they had it in them. I think his parents are considering having him castle-schooled, but I doubt they would want to do that since it means they would have to put up with his lazy ass all day."
"Aziz," Jay scolded when Evie visibly flinched at the vulgar language, "at least try to control your mouth around Evie. She was castle-schooled most of her life. She isn't used to teenagers cursing whenever they please."
"She'll get used to it if she's around me," Aziz joked to try to uplift the teenagers' spirits. "But I guess I can tone it down. That means I'm going to be a little more vulgar tonight, if you get what I mean."
"Speaking of that, how have you not been caught yet?" Carlos genuinely wondered from his place across from Evie and a foot distance away from Mal. "It seems like every other night I'm alone in our room, especially on weekends. Does nobody in the neighboring rooms hear you or . . . ?"
"Ben's dorm-room is soundproof," Aziz revealed with a careless shrug. "But to be on the safe side, I moved my bed away from the wall after our first, so it didn't bang against it. Nobody's complained yet, so I don't think we're being loud enough."
"I can change that tonight," Jay boldly offered, much to the amusement of his boyfriend but the disgust of his lady friends.
"Guys," Mal chided with a scowl. "I'm trying to eat here."
"You haven't touched anything," Aziz retorted while stealing a random food item off her tray. "But I will for ya!"
Chuckling softly, the fairy pushed her plate forward so the Auradon thief could continue eating her food. In fact, the other two boys believed it was free game, so they dug into the plate as well. Everything was gone in the matter of a couple minutes. By the time they cleaned the plate, Ben came walking toward the five, looking as though he had a heavy weight on his shoulders.
"Hey guys," Ben greeted as he clasped his hands. "How is everyone?"
"Amused, but disgusted," Evie answered with a shake of her head.
"Aziz and Jay told us a little too much information about their life at night," Mal enlightened with a light shrug. "Then they and Carlos stole my food."
"You gave it to us," Carlos corrected, "and you didn't stop us."
Smiling at the playful banter between the friends, Ben reluctantly had to break up the little party. "Aziz, your parents are looking for you," he informed. "They are about to head back to your home kingdom."
"Why?" Aziz interrogated defensively. "They'll miss your coronation—"
"They are taking Rajah home," Ben interrupted calmly. "They know they are going to miss it and they are giving me their best wishes. Your mother offered their spots at the coronation to Evie and Carlos, that way they aren't by complete strangers."
Huffing in annoyance, Aziz grumbled, "I better tell them 'bye'."
Reluctantly standing from his seat, the Auradon thief stole a kiss from his Lost Boy before he trudged off to meet his parents. Meanwhile, Ben knelt before his beloved—since she was sitting at the edge of the seat—and cautiously took her hand in his. "Are you alright?" he wondered softly as he rubbed soothing circles on her hand. "Do I need to do anything for you?"
"I'm fine," Mal replied in a small, timid tone. "Just needed some fresher air and to take a walk."
"If you need anything, I'm here for you," Ben reassured kindly. "In fact . . ."
The prince trailed off as he removed the gold ring on his finger. "This ring was given to me by my father when I started Auradon Prep." Ben offered it to his beloved. "I want you to wear it tomorrow during the coronation and every day afterwards; that way you will always remember that I will always love you, no matter what."
Taken away by the raw emotion in his declaration, Mal lifted her hand so Ben could slip the ring on her finger, who kissed her hand lovingly.
Maybe . . . one day . . . Mal would gain the courage to tell him the full story of what transpired on that dreadful day.
Obviously, you all know that after Ben leaves the Core Four, Audrey and Jane walks by their table to taunt Mal a bit. We all know that out of spite, Mal spells Jane's gorgeous long hair back to its original, short bland state. There is really no need for me to go into detail about their encounter since nothing changes, right?
Instead, we are going to move forward to the next day, to the coronation.
BUT . . .
We are going to the Isle for the next few minutes!
After watching the future king ask their Mal to the coronation, the entire Isle was beaming with excitement at the thought of seeing one of their own at such a royal event. Their eagerness grew even higher when it was revealed that all four would be at the coronation, and will have a good view of the occasion.
On that day, Hades made sure his grand-daughter had plenty of sleep in the morning so she would be well rested when she watched the coronation. This was the perfect opportunity for Mallory to see her mother, though it couldn't be vice versa. Mallory has been missing her mother a lot lately, but Hades didn't want to tell Mal for fear that she would give up her new life in Auradon. The best thing for Mallory was—
"Momma!" Mallory shouted as she pointed at the screen. "Dada!"
Interrupted from his thoughts, Hades jerked his head toward the television set, where his grand-baby sat only three feet away.
On the screen, a horse drawn carriage was trotting toward the front of a cathedral. His Mali looked absolutely beautiful in her light purple dress with her hair placed in a fancy bun, her hair looking awfully pink in the Auradon sunlight. Sitting next to his beloved daughter was none other than Prince Ben, who would become king in just a few more minutes. He was dressed in a royal blue suit that demonstrated his royalty and showed off his handsomeness. Hades never thought he would see his Mal look so much like a princess while guests threw flower petals and confetti at them. Sometimes, Hades forgets that he is a king, which did make his daughter princess.
But maybe . . . one day . . . she could become a queen.
Once the carriage stopped at the steps of the cathedral, footmen opened the doors for the couple. Ben quickly jumped out first before offering a helping hand to Mal, knowing she wouldn't trust strangers to touch her. Once fully out of the carriage, the two slowly made their way up the cathedral stairs, the enormous cape of Mal's dress trailing on the steps behind them. Trumpets blared from both sides of the couples as they approached King Beast and Queen Belle.
At the top of the staircase, Mal respectfully bowed to the royals. "I'm sorry," she immediately apologized, "about yesterday. I may have over-reacted—"
"You did nothing wrong," Ben reassured before his beloved could think little of herself. "You had the right to react the way you did. Chad shouldn't have grabbed you the way he did."
"Let's not think about that for now," Queen Belle suggested softly, though there was a slight forcefulness to her tone. "It's a special day, after all. We don't want to make this happy day sour by remembering something from the past."
"We'll meet you inside," King Beast insisted before he dragged his wife off, not bothering to stay to listen to the teenagers' response.
When they were alone, an attendant offered his hand so he could lead Mal away. The fairy hesitated, tensing up when the man was just trying to do his job. "It's alright," Ben comforted quietly. "He won't do anything to you. I promise."
After the prince placed a loving kiss on her forehead to keep her calm, Mal took in a shallow, shaky breath before allowing the attendant to lead her into the cathedral. Most of the guests whispered behind her back after she walked pass them, gossiping about what she did to Chad Charming the day before. Ignoring those around them, her friends smiled kindly as Mal walked by to give her some reassurance. Jay and Carlos jokingly bowed to her, causing the fairy to snicker and uplift her nervous mood.
Once she was at her position close to the front of the stage, Mal patiently waited for the event to begin, though she was hoping it would end quick. A few short moments later, a hesitant hand was placed on her shoulder. "Mal?"
Perking up slightly, Mal turned to give the queen a kind smile. "Leah," she greeted with a small curtsy. "You look wonderful today."
"And you, young lady, look like a princess," Queen Leah complimented while reciprocating the smile. "You are so beautiful. It's a shame that so many choose to be jealous of your looks instead of appreciate your natural beauty."
Mal's smile grew wider and more genuine at the compliments. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that," the fairy claimed with a soft sigh. "I've been pessimistic of myself since yesterday. Hearing your nice words really cheers me up. Thank you."
"There's no need for that," Leah persisted with a stubbornness to her tone. "I meant every word."
Before the retired queen could say more, the choir started singing, signaling the start of the event. "I better return to my family," Queen Leah insisted before her smile returned to her lips. "Though I do want to say, his ring looks very fitting on you."
The fairy's smile grew larger than it ever has at hearing such flattery, though she had no time to thank the queen since she melded back into the crowd to join her family.
In the next moment, the cathedral doors opened, allowing Prince Ben to walk through and down the long aisle. Unlike what they did for Mal, the audience respectfully bowed as the young prince walked by. Mal watched her beloved from the front row as he moved further down.
Sparing a brief second to glance and smile at his girlfriend, Ben approached the stage where Fairy Godmother and his parents awaited him with the wand. While Ben knelt before them, Fairy Godmother lifted the crown from King Beast's head and placed it on his son's head. Next, King Beast lifted the glass bell jar so Queen Belle could hand the wand to Fairy Godmother.
With the wand in the headmistress's hand, the choir stopped singing. The entire cathedral went silent as they anticipate the next few moments.
Holding out the wand in front of her, Fairy Godmother questioned for all in the cathedral to hear, "Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?"
Taking in a deep breath to calm his, Ben proudly declared, "I do solemnly swear."
"Then it is my honor," Fairy Godmother began as she motioned her wand in a way that looked like she was knighting Ben, "and my joy to bless our new king—"
Obviously, you know what happens next.
Someone steals the wand from Fairy Godmother's hand and the power of the magical item overwhelms her so much that a shot of sparks emits from it. A bolt of lightning crashes through the cathedral's stained-glass window, inadvertently breaking the magic barrier on the Isle of the Lost.
And we all know that the 'mystery' person is Jane, Fairy Godmother's very own daughter.
"If you won't make me beautiful, I'll do it myself!" Jane defiantly shouted as she struggled to gain control of the wand, its powers rocking her viciously.
Deciding to continue the change of roles, Mal bravely surged forward to play the part of the hero. With almost no effort, Mal pried the wand out of the hands of the younger teenager, wielding it like a mighty sword. Frightful for what may happen to her, Jane hid behind some people in the audience to avoid the fairy.
Mal scoffed as the audience cautiously watched her. "Don't act so scared," she snapped quite rudely. "I have no use for the wand, because I choose good."
As Mal made a move to hand the powerful object back to its owner, a window shatter unexpectedly, causing some to scream and others to gasp. Green smoke filled the room as a green light floated through the broken window and landed just a few feet in front of Mal.
Mal rolled her eyes dramatically, sighing as the smoke dissipated. "Go away, Mother. No one wants you here, especially me."
Straightening to full height, Maleficent raised a sinister eyebrow at her daughter. "What a cruel thing to say to your mother." She extended her free hand expectantly. "Give me the wand."
Instead of doing as her mother wished, Mal tossed the wand to Fairy Godmother. As soon as the headmistress caught it, Maleficent slammed her scepter on the ground, freezing everyone except the Core Four, who all huddled together in the middle of the aisle.
"Nice try, Baby Girl," Maleficent complimented as she easily stole the wand from the frozen Fairy Godmother, which sparked in protest. "But I win. Again."
"When have you ever won anything?" Mal bravely challenged. "You lost your chance of revenge when the spell on Aurora was broken. You lost your magic when you were sent to the Isle of the Lost. You lost Dad because you couldn't get over what happened in the past. You lost your trust in him, yet he still loves you! You stopped loving me, your own daughter, so you lost me."
Maleficent scoffed at her daughter's rambling. "Love is ridiculous. It makes you weak."
"No, it doesn't!" Mal argued as tears started to well up in her eyes. "Love makes me stronger because I know people care about me and will do anything for me. Love gave me the courage to stand up to you. Love is the reason that I command, wand to my hand!"
The last statement completely caught Maleficent off guard, especially when the wand willingly flew out of her hand and into her daughter's. While her daughter and her friends reveled in the small victory, Maleficent used the opportunity to transform into a massive, dark purple dragon to prove a point. The evil fairy couldn't help enjoying the sound of the Core Four's gasps as they instinctively stepped backwards. She roared ferociously, swiveling her scaly hand as she prepared to attack.
Courageously, Mal stepped forward to keep herself between her friends and her mother, clutching the wand tightly in her hand. "Leave my friends out of this," she demanded forcefully. "This is between you and me, Maleficent."
The dragon bent her head level to Mal, meeting her daughter's gaze to prove that she was more powerful.
Eyes flashing vibrant green, Mal stood fearless as she chanted, "The strength of evil is good as none, when stand before four hearts as one!"
Mal repeated the enchantment a few more times, determined to claim the victory. Usually, Mal always lost the stare-downs she would have with her mother.
But this time was different.
In the very moment that Mal thought she was going to lose, the mighty dragon blinked. The wing creature let out a strangled cry as billowing smoke surrounded her once again. Once the smoke vanished, so did the dragon.
The Core Four were complete astonished by the turn of events. As they hurried down the aisle, Carlos questioned slightly breathlessly, "What just happened?"
"Did you do it?" Evie interrogated her best friend.
"I don't know!" Mal shouted before stopping just a couple feet away from a purple lizard that was there before.
In a way that makes absolutely no sense, Fairy Godmother magically unfroze with no explanation to how that happened in the movie. Once she regained her wits, the headmistress ran to meet the children.
"It wasn't you. It was your mother," Fairy Godmother gently reassured. "She shrank to the size of the . . . love in her heart."
"So, she really has no love for me," Mal mused to herself. Crouching to get a better look at the lizard, she wondered, "Is she going to be like this forever?"
"Forever is a long time," Fairy Godmother commented before offering a kind and comforting smile. "If you learned to love, can she too."
Exhaling a breath she didn't know she was holding, Mal held out the magic wand to Fairy Godmother. "I believe this belongs to you."
With a wave of her wand, the spell was broken on those who attended the coronation. After being given a short explanation, Ben cautiously stepped toward his beloved. "Mal?" He greeted uncertainly. "Are you alright?"
"I will be," Mal promised with a soft sigh. "Just need a little time to get over this . . . and what happened to me on the island. Forgive and forget, right?"
"Some things you can't forgive," Ben claimed stubbornly, almost like he knew what she was referring. Before Mal could think too deeply on what he meant, he quickly, "But I admire that you want to do so."
Mal practically swoon when the new king kissed her forehead lovingly, though she couldn't enjoy the moment since she caught sight of a mother scolding her daughter. "I'll be right back," she mumbled, walking off before she could hear a response.
"I love you," Fairy Godmother informed her daughter, though she pointed her wand near threateningly at her, "but you are on a major time-out."
"Don't be too hard on Jane," Mal intervened before Fairy Godmother could punish her daughter. "I was the one who put all that crazy stuff in her head." She locked eyes with a humiliated Jane. "You are beautiful, inside and out. Believe me: a mother knows best for her daughter."
Jane smiled kindly at the fairy before Fairy Godmother led her away to discuss her punishment.
As the fairy turned to head back to the new king, Mal caught sight of an attendant placing the bell jar over the lizard so she couldn't escape. Mal sighed disappointingly, knowing it would be a while before her mother returned to normal.
And before she could see her daughter again.
