Going back through and reading these chapters, I've realized something. Aziz is legit me when I want to say something sarcastic. I'm almost wary to go back and count all the times I've had him say something sarcastic at this point.
Also, this chapter has a lot more talking than watching. This is because this is a very key point in the where things start changing for Auradon.
Shiranai Atsune: I'm not entirely sure who I want Audrey's elder sibling to be, or whether they are even boy or girl. I just thought it fitting if she wasn't in line for her families throne. I kinda want her to have an elder sister in college though. I dunno.
Guest: I loved that idea SO much. It also opened the doorway for some other points of the story leading into it. So thank you so much for pointing that out!
pinkdog16: It might have been a deleted scene. I know neither Disney+ or my own DVD has that clip, but I could try to find it.
And of course an added thanks to everyone commenting how they like the stories progression or wanting this to be updated. You all are wonderful and give me so much purpose to write. I appreciate each and every one you!
Thus said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter~!
Miles away under cloud cover, the castle was quiet. At least it was in the moonlit room where Stefan ruminated with pajama robes in a wooden chair unfit for a king.
"He looks awful," Alice said taking note of his unkempt hair, facial and all. He didn't even look clean.
Mirana hummed. "Doesn't look a child anymore." Distaste flavored her tone.
"Looks like Clayton after taking one too many shots the Isle's weakest brews." Gothel's daughter saw nothing wrong with her truth but several Auradon gazes fell upon her. Even Claudine was mixed with shock and disdain, though that was normal. "What?"
"Weakest brews?" Anita asked.
She shrugged. "Adult beverages aren't easy to come by in the trash, so he'd get so unsatisfied with his drinks that he's just laze around half tipsy and annoyed."
"And his child?"
Ginny smirked. "Clay gives him the most of his drinks."
"Isle kids..." Jasmine found herself muttering.
"You mock me."
"We do!"
A gust of wind caught Jay's attention just in time to see Jasmine slapping her son softly in the back of his head once more. "Shush!"
"What?" Aziz protested with a whine and hint of a grin. "It's not my fault he can tell what we're thinking!"
"I know what you're doing." The door behind him creaked open but he seemed to either not notice or not care. "I know exactly what you're doing."
Jay caught himself from chuckling by turning back towards the screen. Behind him Aziz comedically brought his hands to his head with a fish gaped mouth. "No way!"
"Aziz-" His father warned this time.
He plopped himself down in his chair normally at the veiled warning, instead choosing to catch gazes with a brunette member of the Fitzherbert table.
"Sire? Your presence has been requested by the Queen."
"Leave me."
"Sire, she is not well. The nurses are fearful she won't make it through the night."
He brought a finger to his lips, slowly shushing the guard. "Can you not see we're having a conversation?"
Mal tilted her head. The king was not well. That much was obvious to anyone with a sense.
"In that dark room?" Anxelin asked.
"With who?" Ruby hissed at the same time. His wife, the queen, was sick and he chose to do what?
Speaking of the queen, Leah seemed to be getting rather pale. She wasn't at the angle to properly see but it almost appeared that the woman's eyes were glazed over.
Aurora noticed the same thing with a sigh. "Mom?"
Leah kept her head down, ever remotely in denial. "I knew he didn't come to see me off. I thought he was busy trying to find ways to search for Maleficent. I never saw him again after..."
Evie bit her lip. It seemed a good amount of the room knew what happened next, but for the VKs who didn't grow up with the latest Auradon news or histories, they weren't sure what the somber underlining was. Both Chad and Doug noticed Evie's growing curiosity, and tried silently gesturing to let it go. Sadly Carlos knew nothing stopped Evie.
"What happened?" Evie blurted out. In the same kind and naïve voice she used a lot when she first came to Auradon she continued. "I mean, clearly you're still here so everything was fine, right?"
Philip answered for his mother in law. "She was very weak. With nothing that could help in their own Kingdom, she was brought to my own, which was the closest around. She received help in my kingdom but couldn't return home until she was fully better. That didn't happen until well after Aurora's sixteenth birthday."
"And a day," Ryder added ominously.
Despite the mood lightening and the out Ryder was trying to give, Evie's knowledge of royal lines started spinning. "Stefan died before you got better." She concluded.
"Which is remarkably humorous considering she was the one they thought wouldn't make it," Harry no so quietly added himself.
Pan glared. "Can it, Hook!"
Cinderella sighed sympathetically. "Leah," she tried. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. How could he act like that?" She asked, directing to Stefan on screen.
"Some men-" Megara sneered.
Gil propped his head up, having become bored with the conversation a while ago. "Sounds like my dad. He's actually done that before, I'm pretty sure."
"What hasn't your dad and Clayton done?" Celia deadpanned in annoyance.
"Well, not calling him a villain or anything," Chrys tried to placate. "Can we at least all agree that was uncool for any spouse to do?"
The small chorus of agreement made Leah feel a little better.
"I just don't get what was so important to not go visit," Audrey wondered to herself. She grasped her grandmothers hand and squeezed. They'd had their differences, but despite that their family had to heal sooner or later. Her grandmother had been alone in her views for so long that the only company she ever had was Audrey or Ingrid. She would be there for her.
The man saw Stefan wasn't going to be swayed. He closed the door to leave his king to his devices. The view changed to show an intricate glass case in front of the moonlit window. Inside...
"EWWWWWWW!"
Bobby Hood nearly launched himself out of his seat hearing Amber's squeal. When his ear stopped ringing he inclined forward, squinting at the screen to see what it was. "Is that..."
Audrey clasped a hand to her mouth, eyes going wide at the sight. "Oh my gosh-"
The Vk's of the room exchanged shocked glances. This was farther than any of their parents had gone, right? Only Cruella and the Evil Queen had ever gone to those lengths of insanity to their knowledge.
Impatient and very confused, Daniel groaned. "What is it?"
No one seemed obliged to answer, too caught up in their own nagging thoughts of how impossible it seemed.
The room was so quiet, it was easy to hear Mal's shocked answer to herself, despite being far above them all. "My mothers wings..." She gasped.
"No, no, no!" Adam protested. "They're just look alikes. There's no way severed wings lasted in good shape for 16 years!"
Belle placed a hand on her arm placatingly. "Perhaps we should just watch and see why."
Mal felt ready to puke. Any angering magic that had been bubbling inside her dropped like an anvil with dread.
Stefan arose from his seat, taking a few clanging steps towards the glass. "When the curse fails, Maleficent will come for me. And on that day, I will be ready."
"Considering Maleficent was killed by Philip, I don't think he was ready," Jane wrapped herself in Carlos' embrace. "Also, why would the curse fail?"
"He probably thought that hiding her away would do the trick," he shrugged. The thought of someone doing something like what Stefan seemed to have done terrified Jane to the very core and Carlos knew that. Despite the fact Jane had neither wings nor any outward show of fairy blood. Mal on the other hand, Carlos couldn't help but cringe for.
Ben asked an unspoken question that was at the forefront of his concern. "Sooo, assuming those are her wings..."
"Yeeees?" Chad prompted.
"Where are they now?"
Queen Anna dropped her head onto her sisters shoulder with a whine. "Oh my..."
"Benjie, why did you have to bring that up?"
"It's relevant, Merida!" He protested. "I don't recall her being sent to the Isle with any belongings. And I semi doubt those huge wings are hiding anywhere."
"Got something to say, Aurora? Leah?"
Aurora paled at Uma's comment. "We would never..."
"We would never keep or hide her wings," Philip answered firmly. His mother might though...
Many nights passed, and nearly all of them Aurora spent in the constant magical glow of the Moors. Under this full moon night, Aurora and Maleficent sat on mossy stones next to a pond. The sprites dances upon the waters surface turning it bright pink. "They're so beautiful."
Rather than watch the show, Maleficent observed Aurora's awe.
Another night, Aurora was given the chance to meet the Wallerbogs. Two of them shoved a third closer to the kneeling girl. Bashfully, he presented her a Moor flower.
"That's sweet!"
Harriet stuck out her tongue in disgust while Amy and Pin swooned.
"Looks like Bash when he's...well, doing anything," Doug snickered to his brother.
Hadie raised an eyebrow the Dwarfsons. Feeling friendly, Derek dipped his head closer. "Bashful Jr. Our cousin."
He made a small 'o' sound and adjusted his guitar. "Dang, that's a disappointment. Would have hoped the son of Bashful would have been super big and confident."
"I know right!" Derek whispered, tempering his enthusiasm. He only realized after that he was bonding with a straight off the Isle-Kid.
He was too busy contemplating whether or not he was dangerous he didn't even notice how Aurora became splattered head to toe by mud, still in her crouch.
She turned back and found two more Wallerbogs standing in the mud guiltily. Aurora dug her hands in the mud and tossed a blotch so hard, the Wallerbog was knocked backwards into the water.
"Nice shot!" Aurora beamed childishly at Genie's coach instincts.
It became an all out mud fight between the human and the fae. Maleficent yet still watched from the sidelines alongside an amused Diaval. A stray shot smacked against Maleficent's cheek sending everyone into a hush.
The corner of Hadie's lip shot up, remembering an instance on the Isle just like that.
All except Diaval, who burst into an abrupt guffaw. He and Aurora were the only ones still unwary of her.
His laughter halted just as quickly as it began when he found his face covered in mud by Maleficent's magic. Everyone else however immediately descended back into laughter. Even Maleficent wore a smile.
"That was deserved," Squirmy said.
Squeaky echoed. "Payback."
Diaval rolled his eyes. Everything was in spite when it came to his Mistress. He glanced down at his now cold hand. His Mistress, though he still struggled to comprehend her new form, sat atop the back of his hand staring up at him. "You find that funny, don't you?" He whispered.
Like at the end of all these visits, Maleficent placed her back into bed without the godmothers notice. While the covers tucked the sleeping girl, Maleficent waited a bit longer in the dark corner of the room.
"I revoke the curse," She murmured softly. "Let it be no more."
Ryder scooched forward. "Pardon? What was that?"
The room began to illuminate with two colors, golden from Maleficent's staff, and a wicked green that arose from Aurora's sleeping chest. "I revoke the curse. Let it be no more."
She stepped towards the bed, raising her voice into a piercing shout. The magic seemed to shout back. "I revoke my curse! Let it be no more! I revoke my curse! Let it be no more!" The house shook with the two fighting powers. Arms outstretched, Maleficent tried her hardest for her will to be heard, for her own doing to become undone. With a final explosion, green engulfed the room before retreating back into Aurora's body.
"How did the pixies not hear that?" Ben wondered. "Or feel that!"
"This curse will last till the end of time," a voice whispered. "No power one earth can change it." The fae turned, forlorn. With all the power in her arsenal, not even she could break a curse.
"Mom?" Audrey asked. Aurora's eyes were closed and head was bowed. Her head seemed to be shaking back and forth ever so slightly and she was muttering, "I can't believe I was so stupid," almost imperceptibly.
Philip was comforting her.
"Maleficent actually grew to care about you," Jasmine frowned. "Then why...?"
Tarrant jovially lifted a tea cup, its contents sloshing about. "Well that was twist and a turn!"
"Jane?" Evie whispered.
"I didn't know a curse could act that way. I didn't know not even the caster could remove their own curse!"
Stress began to make itself present in Adam's head. He was worried this would happen, Belle had warned him. If he, so vile a person and near villain could become a lovable goofy king, who was to say other's couldn't earn redemption? If Belle wasn't the one then she would have been locked up for all eternity. That was a villain move. Though he never imagined Maleficent would be a villain that could show kindness.
"Perhaps," He said gravely. Enough so many turned his way. "Ben was right."
"Right about what?" Celia asked, her head popping up. Several other Vk's were also curious about this, considering it probably had to do with something evil.
"You'll find out about it by tonight." Ben's attentions snapped to Tiana and her husband, the latter looking at Ben encouragingly. The young king's heart soared. They were reconsidering his proposal. Across the room Uma broke into a grin.
The next evening Maleficent lurked in the shadows of a tree as Aurora once more chattered with the Moorfolk that surrounded her. What occurred had not left her mind.
Aurora jogged up to her godmother, noticing her retreat. "Do all the Fair People have wings?"
"Fair? Is that like how Alice always said Wonderland rather than Underland?" Pin asked.
Alice groaned into her napkin. "Am I never going to live that down?"
"Depends," Her husband mused. "Do you still eat and drink random items?"
"I was seven!"
"Most do," Maleficent answered, seeming to weigh on her staff a bit more than usual.
'Oh dear, that magic really wore into her,' Fairy Godmother thought. 'How strong was that curse? And...what can Mal do?'
"Then why don't you? All the other fairies fly."
"I had wings once. They were stolen from me."
"And now preside in a glass case of a creepy person," Jeremy concluded.
Maleficent stopped, looking sternly at Aurora. "That's all I wish to say about it."
"What color were they?" Aurora prompted. "Were they big?"
"What did she just say, Aurora?"
"So big they dragged behind me when I walked," A touch of pride and nostalgia touched her words. "And they were strong. They could carry me above the clouds and into the headwinds. And they never faltered, not even once. I could trust them."
Aurora placed a consoling hand on her arm, a gesture that the fae did not seem used to. Without another word, she walked away, leaving Aurora behind.
"Well if that's not Mal in a nutshell, I don't know what is." Jay glanced up wondering when Mal was going to come down. He couldn't even see her on the balcony anymore, but Hades was still there.
The camera pans ominously back on the wings nestled inside the glass cabinet of the castle, slowly moving closer. Then came the echoing cries of Maleficent screaming.
The Dunbroch triplets cringed.
Stefan shot up in bed panting and wide eyed. "She's coming," He muttered. "She's coming."
In an empty workplace lit by torches, the night watcher was shocked away by a bucket of water straight to the face. He shot out of his chair and stood before the king.
"Rude!" Sherie seethed. Her hatred for a man she never even knew was growing exponentially. "Who does that?"
Gil raised his hand, glad to know the answer. "People on the Isle."
Eugene shrugged. "It could be worse. Could wake up to a lizard with it's tongue in your ear."
"Chameleon."
"Where are your iron workers?" Stefan asked.
"Uh...In their beds, Majesty." He made to follow the King as he walked past him without preamble.
"Get them back to work without delay," He ordered.
"They're exhausted, sire. But I'll have them back to work at first light."
Stefan paused at the end of the catwalk, shifting on his feet. "I need them back to work now."
"It's the wee hours."
Stefan looked lost for a moment, taking even longer to respond. "Aye," He placed a hand on the mans shoulder. "Aye. It is the wee hours...So wake them up."
"Sire?"
Henry grit his teeth in disdain. "A king does not just force his people to do something because he has the power to."
Cinderella placed a hand on his arm. "Nor does a queen. No one with power has the right to do that."
Auradon's former king looked down. He was sure he had done that at one point or another. Had he looked like that to his people?
He faced him again. Within an instant he shoved the worked against the wall with a raised command. "So wake them up, and get them back to work now." He shook him. "We're running out of time! Go, now!"
"Geez, what's the hurry? He had sixteen years to figure out a plan," Jordan muttered.
He shoved the worker away, the man stumbling into a run and leaving Stefan there panting.