I do not own Descendants, Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Aladdin, 101 Dalmanations, Frozen, the Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, The Incredibles 1 and 2, Big Hero 6, or Meet the Robinsons.
—- Pay Attention: Chapter 23, due on Wednesday July 10th, will be released AHEAD OF SCHEDULE on July 8th due to a business trip of mine in which I will be disconnected from Internet—-
Life felt like an honest-to-goodness fairytale. Mal knew she belonged exactly where she was, with exactly who she was with.
The day after the curse was broken, she journeyed to the Isle of the Lost with Mercy, May, and Myth accompanying her. The sun was rising over the ocean when they docked and journeyed to the entrance of the city. Mal carried in a bag twenty-nine long sleeves of colorful cards. Mercy and Myth balanced a long table in between their frames and May carried two chairs while Mal carried the last one. Outside the city, people were hovering, wondering if she was going to end up being serious about letting them in. Hats were pulled low over ears and scarves wound tightly across faces, but people rose up as they unfolded the table, propped up the three chairs, and then Mal slowly took out three boxes of cards.
"I'm giving you permission to hand out cards to those who are worthy, to issue my oath exactly as I have it phrased, and to act in my stead until the time you leave to return to the Moorlands," Mal announced as Isle citizens gathered around the barrier, acting as silent, judging witnesses. She repeated her statement in Faesh, effectively binding them and herself to the bargain. She held out her hand as a glowing green orb of magic appeared in her hand. Mercy stretched forward her hand and shook. The magic disappeared into her skin. Mal repeated her words twice more for the other two sisters and then turned to the Islanders outside.
"Who's first?" She asked. A man with long, dark hair falling down his back hesitated and then stepped forward. Mal broke the seal on one box. "This card will be your passage into the city, your apartment key, your right to vote, and your right to all of your possessions." She announced to the crowd, and then dug in her pocket for a fistful of silver tailsmen coins. "These coins will be used to tie your possessions to your card. Once you have it, hold the card in one hand and pressed the inscribed side of the coin down on your item. It'll add a magical signature reading to your card based on your magical signature, no matter how faint it is, proving that the item is yours. If you don't record it, it can be stolen, and it's not our responsibility. And don't try and steal the coins, because they'll all return to me at the beginning of each day anyway, even if you take them to the rotten part of the Isle." She dropped the handful onto the table and then pulled the top off the box. "Pick a color. This will hopefully be your card for a very, very long time, so pick wisely."
"Can I have a red?" The Isle man asked, and then swallowed nervously. Mal pulled a collection of cards out and let him select a cherry red color. Then she extended her right hand, holding the card in her left.
"Name?" She asked.
"Kamos Strava." The man answered. "I'm a, uh, descendant of a Hunnic soldier."
"Kamos Strava," Mal repeated. "While you are a resident of this city, you are not allowed to participate in any sort of organized crime work, including vandalism, theft, assault or murder. You are at the age to hold a job and therefore are required to help contribute to society. Failure to comply with my terms will result in your inability to continue receiving my protection. Do you agree?"
"What can I do?" Kamos swallowed, looking a little taken aback.
Mal let a little smile play at her lips. "Well, I've got a list." She laughed. "I need distribution people, emergency responders, designers, and organizers. Come talk to me when there's not a line behind you."
A smile spread across Kamos's face. "I agree." He nodded and shook Mal's right hand. The card in her left hand flared and his name and birthdate engraved themselves into the face of the card, near the bottom left corner. Mal smiled and handed him his card.
Kamos examined the card in awe. "I, uh..." he trailed off. "I never knew my birthday." He nodded to her, and whispered "Thank you,", and then took a careful step over the barrier. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, closed his eyes, and looked up to the sunshine. Mal reached into her bag and pulled out a binder that was filled with a registrar of all the space she had in her city.
"You're alone, right?" She asked, pulling a pen out even though it wouldn't be needed.
"I am." Kamos agreed, opening his eyes and looking down at her registrar with an amazed expression.
Mal pointed at the first block on the page. "How does room one in building one sound?"
"It… sounds amazing." Kamos breathed. At his agreement, the spot magically blacked itself out and his name appeared in a red color matching his card beside the room number. On the card itself, the inscription 'B1 R1' appeared in the bottom right-hand corner.
"Welcome," Mal smiled and then turned to the next person in line. "Name and color?" She asked. Mercy, Myth, and May all stood up and began to address others in the crowd. Kamos Strava moved out of the way, stepping beyond the wall of the city, and became the first resident of the utopia. Mal, Myth, Mystic, and May worked until past lunchtime when they started switching shifts to eat and because Mal wanted to help oversee people as they come in who were looking for directions. Over one-hundred others were issued cards between her and the three other fae women.
Mal worried at first there would be nothing for them to do while they established homes and territories, but people went right to work. They were each assigned bare apartments, sometimes with roommates, and many hit the paint pans that Mal had asked to be brought to the Isle and left. Before the end of the day, as she walked through the city, she was pleasantly surprised to see many people mingling as the best painters jumped door-to-door and helped to paint rooms and walls. She'd started every card with two-hundred points to help people get on their feet and also to start a common currency. Those who brought Isle coins with them had been given extra points as a sort of exchange rate. Currently, Mal was charging the smallest Isle 'Note' coin as ten points. Those who had been trained with the Auradon construction workers, of course, had been compensated at an equal rate to their Auradonian companions. Speaking of whom, those who'd worked on construction immediately picked up the spare lumber and began to design new buildings they could start building within the next few weeks.
She mostly walked around and lent a hand where she could help. She was more than happy to haul paint, clean brushes, and help the new residents carefully unpack their most treasured items in their rooms. Everything that had been brought into the city was carefully recorded because Mal wasn't going to put up with file claims and 'No, it's not theirs! I just have one like it." The citizens understood that if they didn't clear it with their records, they had no claim on it. Individual property sales were handled as a transfer of assets without any available resources. Everything was sorted underneath a person's card, almost like a virtual storage system but with complex magical readings instead.
She spent the last hour of the day helping people carry things to higher floors. Since she could fly, she technically didn't have to follow the palace's 'seven o'clock rule' anymore, meaning she could stay to help a little longer. As Mal wished the daughter of one of Captain Hook's pirates' good luck and good night, she heard a piercing squeal. She spun around as a small cannon slammed into her, screaming: "Mal!"
"Holy sh-" Mal bit her tongue. A small girl of about twelve had wrapped her paint-stained hands around Mal's waist happily. Two colorful pigtails buried into her chest and a stained apron swished at Mal's ankles. "Dizzy?" She asked.
A freckled face with glasses sitting at a crooked angle appeared. "I can't believe it's you! I missed you so much!" Dizzy exclaimed.
Mal stood rigid for another half second and then wrapped her arms around the small girl. "Oh my goodness." She whispered, eyeing how Dizzy's head was almost neck-level with her. "You got… tall."
Dizzy giggled. Behind her, a redhead in pink moved out of the shadows. Mal stared. "Anastasia." She said.
Anastasia shifted uncomfortably. "I, uhm, have a card." She held up a purple card with pink streaks. Her name was clearly imprinted. "I'm not looking to cause trouble, it's just-" Anastasia sniffled. "I knew Dizzy wouldn't be able to slip away without an adult, so I'm going to take care of her. Please, don't send me back out." The light that had been in Anastasia's eyes years ago had died. The poor woman was truly broken. Auradon had cut off her heel and sent her away from her husband, even after Cinderella had forgiven her. It seemed she couldn't stop running from her past.
Mal smiled. "No." She said. "Please, stay." She noticed a large red wagon with one absent wheel sitting behind Anastasia. "Are those your things?" She asked.
Anastasia looked over her shoulder at the wagon. "Yes." She said. "We took a few things. We were going to run a salon, just like outside the city. Mom doesn't know we took anything yet." An awkward silence hung in the air. Mal realized what Anastasia was implying. Lady Tremaine would be furious when she found out.
She nodded. A thought occurred to her. "Do you want me to see if I can find your husband?" She asked.
Anastasia stared at her and looked toward the ground. "I don't know if he'd still want me after all this time." She said sadly.
Dizzy let go of Mal. Mal took two steps forward and set a hand on Anastasia's shoulder. "What was his name?" She asked.
"Rob Paulsen." Anastasia sighed. A small smile graced her lips.
Mal nodded. "I'll find him. After all, I don't know what I would do without my husband, so how can I let you be separate from yours?"
Anastasia's eyes filled with tears. "You're so much like Cinderella." She told Mal. "She was as kind as you are too." Mal laughed, though the sentiment struck an odd chord with her. She was like Cinderella? How interesting. She hadn't met Cinderella yet, so she had no idea what to think of that idea. Most of the heroes she knew only from the complaining of the villains.
"Can I help you find your room?" Mal asked, picking up the handle to the wagon. She noticed Anastasia's hands were red and irritated.
"You don't have to," Anastasia said softly. She wrung her hands. "I think we're just another floor up."
Mal gave the cart an experimental tug. It was very heavy, and about to break. "Ugh." She groaned. She bent down and touched a hand to the side of the wagon. "Take a break; it's feather-weight." She commanded the wagon. Then, as a quick experiment, she focused and said: "Heal the tear, remove the wear, fix it up and repair." The rust peeled off of the wagon as it shook and straightened all its edges. A new wheel formed out of thin air, expertly attaching itself to the other axle.
Dizzy gasped. "Wow!" She cheered and clapped.
"Yeah." Mal agreed. "Beats heavy lifting any day." She picked up the cart, carefully balancing everything inside. "Which room are you?" She asked.
"I-I can take it." Anastasia offered, looking a bit awkward. Mal waved her off.
"Which room?" She repeated.
Anastasia hesitated. "Room 129." She said.
"That's two floors up," Mal informed her. "Good thing I caught you. There are thirty-six rooms on each floor."
Anastasia didn't say anything.
Mal carried the wagon under one arm as she led the way to the stairs at the end of the hall. A plaque beside the stairs informers passers of which floors were on this level. There were five floors in each apartment space. Mal had wanted elevators but had ultimately decided they were too much of an expense for the poor islanders. Since everyone was pretty fit anyways and she could move those who needed help to lower floors, she decided to wait a few years before she installed them.
"Dizzy, have you seen Evie?" Mal asked as they climbed onto the third floor and started heading for fourth.
"Yes, but she's been busy," Dizzy shrugged as she twisted her apron hem in excitement. "Uma's been really annoying to her ever since you left and her mom wanted her to make her another gown."
"Is she… okay?" Mal asked. She wasn't quite sure how to grace the subject of herself and how her friends talked about her.
"She's okay," Dizzy answered honestly. "She misses you a lot. It sounds like her mom is keeping her busy. She and Maleficent were kind of like bears after you left, but to be honest, Maleficent is kind of dropping off the map. She's been talking about you less and less. I haven't seen her in about five months. Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, and Jafar have all gone strangely silent." Dizzy explained.
"That's odd," Mal hummed, setting down the wagon and pulling it along down the hall. "What about Jay and Carlos?"
"I see Jay stealing things," Dizzy admitted. "And Carlos came in with Evie once. But they haven't been coming around as much either. They don't look very healthy either."
Mal looked down at her feet. She'd never forgotten her friends, but she hadn't been thinking about them either. She felt like a rotten person, but how was she supposed to balance Queen of Auradon, Queen of the Moors, Queen of the Isle, Ben's wife and a friend to Sophia, Stewart, Belle, Adam, Elsa, and everyone she knew? She sighed. "I miss them." She confided in Dizzy. "I think I subconsciously left the Isle behind in my head once I had to crack down and start being, y'know, queen and a wife and everything. I feel bad." She twiddled her thumbs.
They stopped outside room 149. Anastasia took two careful steps forward and held out her key with a shaking hand. She waved it in front of the door and waited with bated breath as if she weren't sure it'd work. The lock slid open with an even click, just as Mal had designed it. Dizzy pushed it open as Anastasia stared in shock at the room.
It wasn't a lot since Mal had had to be conservative with her designs, but there were polished wood floors, a little kitchenette, a small family/gathering area, a bathroom, and two small bedrooms. Most of the apartments only had one bedroom, but evidently Anastasia and Dizzy had requested to be together. There wasn't much in the apartment. There were countertops and basic appliances in the kitchens, a mattress in the bedrooms with sheets and some blankets. The bathroom was tiled with running water. Other than that, everything was empty. Anastasia stared at the space with wide eyes as she wandered inside. Mal smiled as she pulled the wagon in behind them.
She pushed the wagon into a corner and pulled out her phone to record Anastasia standing in the middle of the room with tears filling her eyes.
Dizzy hurried to glance inside each of the rooms. "We have beds!" She shouted excitedly. Mal followed her with her camera. "Actual beds with blankets!" Dizzy cheered. "I don't have to sleep under the window by the stairs anymore!"
"All this?" Anastasia asked Mal. "You're giving us all this?"
"Yes." Mal nodded with a smile. "Ben trusted me to heal this land. These are my people. I won't let him or them down." She stopped the recording and smiled at the signal on her phone. The Isle had service clearance from Auradon now, though wifi was a ways away still. She sent her video to Ben with the caption 'Dizzy and Anastasia'.
"Where do you want everything?" She asked.
Anastasia shook her head. "I… don't even know." She wandered a little further into the living room. "Do we have closets?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes." Mal nodded. "One in here, and one in each of the bedrooms."
Anastasia opened the closet carefully. The smell of freshly dried paint wafted out. Mal smiled as Anastasia closed her eyes. "We can keep them in here until we can start a salon." Anastasia decided. Mal nodded and went back to the wagon. She pulled it towards the closet with nothing more than a squeak. Then, she unloaded the soggy cardboard boxes that all their supplies were being held in and whispered a quiet incantation to fix everything inside. Old paint and rusty utensils became as good as new. She didn't think either Anastasia or Dizzy noticed as they rushed around their new apartment, squealing and taking it all in. It'd be a nice surprise for later on.
"I'm going to go and help the others," Mal told them after a while. "It was nice to see you again."
Dizzy rushed back to Mal and threw her arms around the queen. "Thank you, Mal! This is like a dream come true."
Mal hugged the little girl and rubbed her back a little. "Hey, just wait a few weeks." She promised. "You'll love it even more." Dizzy nodded ecstatically as she withdrew. Mal bent down to be on the younger girl's level. "You'll get your salon up and running, and people will come all over, and you'll finally get to be your own person." Dizzy smiled brightly.
Anastasia walked over, wringing her hands. Mal stood up and they quickly shared a quick hug. "Rob Paulsen?" Mal asked.
Anastasia nodded. "Rob Paulsen." She said. "And thank you, Mal."
"Of course." Mal nodded. She waved and shut the door to room 149 and pulled out her phone. Ben had messaged back.
"Anastasia as in Cinderella?" He asked.
"Yes…" She texted back and paused in her walking to see if he would say anything about how she was letting Anastasia, who had had a life in Auradon between Cinderella's story and the Isle and who had apologized to Cinderella and managed to repair her relationship, back into the city.
"Okay." He texted. Mal smirked. The boy could be taught.
Mal walked out in the light of the setting sun and stopped dead in her tracks. Outside the apartments, a group of about twenty young children were bouncing spinning lights back and forth off their ankles and out of their hands. Others were conjuring them in their palms and looking amazed at the bright, fluorescent colors. It took Mal a moment to realize what she was witnessing. These were magic-possessing children testing out their strengths for the first time. Mal smiled and slipped behind a building. With a little focus, she was able to grow her wings out. She gave them a little stretch and then focused on lifting off. It took a little work, but her wings were strong and capable. She floated into the air, a little unsteady, and then more sure of herself. As she flew into the open, people yelled in surprise. "It's Mal!" Someone called.
Mal flew up to the wall and hovered on the edge before she settled down with her edges facing the rest of the Isle. Few lights were lit against the darkening sky. She kicked her legs back and forth, imagining who could be over there. Jay, Evie, Carlos, Uma, Harry, everyone. Her mother.
Mal wondered what her mother was up to. It wasn't out of the ordinary for her to disappear every so often, but for so long? Something must be cooking in Maleficent's head.
Over by the gates, long lines stretched out into the forest. Citizens slipped through the crowds of incoming people and entered the city barrier without any problems whatsoever. Mal smiled and stood back up. She fluttered down and put her hand down on Myth's shoulder. "It's getting late, ladies. We may need to wrap it up and leave it till tomorrow."
May looked up. "There are still people out." She said.
Mal nodded. "They can come in and out if they have cards. And we can come back tomorrow. I need to go back to the palace though for tonight."
The three women exchanged looks. "If you don't mind, your majesty, can we stay the night? We'll still be here in the morning."
Mal blinked. "Well, sure, if you want. You guys can probably crash in one of the family homes so long as everything is cleaned afterward. Will you be okay?"
Myth nodded and shook a young lady's hand. A bright yellow card was held aloft in her other hand. A bright glow appeared where their hands connected. Then Myth smiled at the girl. "Building 4, room 174. It's at the top." She handed the girl her card and turned to Mal. "We'll be fine. Go home and tell King Ben hi from us."
Mal nodded. She smiled at the group of people waiting patiently for a card and picked up an electric blue card out of a pile of blanks. "Hey." She said gently. "Is electric blue okay?"
The person smiled shyly. "Actually, can I have green? Green helps stimulate my mind. It's a creative color."
"Of course." Mal nodded, shuffling around until she found a lime green. "Is this okay, or would you like a darker shade?"
"No, that's fine." The person crept forward a little more. It was a girl with a half-shaved hairstyle. Her hair was brown with green streaks in it.
"Name?" Mal asked, holding the card in her left hand and holding out her right hand.
"Eliza Deavor?" The girl took her hand.
"While in garrison in the city, you cannot steal, rob, any sort of crime for any reason," Mal warned. "There will be consequences depending on severity. Also, you're required to contribute to society. We want everyone old enough to have jobs to support themselves, whether you're working for government infrastructure or starting anything independently."
Eliza Deavor hesitated. "Do you… have any need for a record keeper? With everything coming in and out of the city, that is."
Mal was surprised. She thought for a moment on everything she'd need to start keeping track of. "Actually, I might have a place for you if you like." She admitted.
Eliza nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to do that. See, my mom was big on putting things together and she was an excellent designer. She designed ships, and planes, tons of cool stuff. And…" Eliza's face fell a little and she became unsure of herself.
Mal nodded. "The screenslaver." She finished for Eliza. The poor girl was probably used to telling people and it was clear she wasn't sure if she should be mentioning it now. "I remember all about the lesson on your mom from Dragon Hall. Well, welcome to the city." She shook Eliza's hand and a bright glow materialized from where their hands touched. Mal handed Eliza her card. She glanced over Myth's shoulder at a catalog of available rooms. "How does room fifty-two sound in building two? It's right over there, on the second floor." Mal pointed.
"Sounds… great." Eliza sounded amazed. Her new address appeared under her name as she spoke, and the catalog Mal had just read off of blacked out the now-filled room.
"Anything you're bringing into the city, even clothes, you'll probably want to check over there. Just scan the item using the magic coin there while holding your card. It'll register your possessions, so if they're stolen, you can hold us accountable to get it back. Got it?" Mal asked, pointing to a table where several people were holding silver coins and pressing them onto stuffed dolls and extra clothes.
"Yeah." Eliza let out a breath. "Hey, can I feel your wings?" She asked, pointing at Mal's wings, which were still hanging loosely off her back.
"Sure." Mal stepped away and turned carefully, lifting her wings so Eliza could run her fingers through the feathers. The feeling still felt strange, but the more she wore them and used them, the less sensitive they became.
"Wow," Eliza muttered. She stepped away. "Thank you, so much Queen Mal. I swear I'll make you proud." She hurried away to the table, leaving Mal to chuckle. She watched people carefully scan nearly-broken items, and her heartstrings got the better of her. She walked over to the table behind Eliza.
"Excuse me?" She called to those surrounding the table. "I can try to fix your possessions if you like. But I can't be here for very long. If you have things you want me to fix, please bring them here."
People looked up and exchanged glances in the dark. Someone held up a ragged blanket. "Can you… fix this?" He asked. Mal gestured for him to bring it forward.
She spread it out across her knees and placed both hands on it. "Heal the tear, remove the wear, fix it up and repair." She commanded it. A green glow lit up the area. The blanket grew twice its size and began to patch itself. When the light faded, the owner gasped.
"It's better than when I got it!" He exclaimed. "Thank you!"
"Of course," Mal nodded, feeling a bit tired. "Who's next?"
People crowded around her, holding their favorite keepsakes. There were pretty plaited hats, ragged shoes, and coats. A young ten-year-old cradled a ragged doll as an older sister clutched at a well-loved math tome. Mal set straight to work, repairing and cleaning all that she could. People brought all sorts of items that were precious to them. Mal fixed them all until the sun had nearly gone done and she was starting to wear out her magical core.
"I can't do any more after this." She announced with a deep breath as a very, very young mother of twenty years old brought her three-year-old son forward. His socks had been worn into netting, and his shoes had disconnected from the sole. She'd tried to paste them together with duct tape to no avail. "But I'll be back tomorrow, and there are other magical people in the city who may be willing to help me." She pressed her hands to the little boy's stone-cold toes. "Heal the tear, remove the wear, fix it up and repair." She said. New socks wove his way over his tiny feet before the shoes stitched themselves up. New material grew in the place of worn, ripped, and lost, and they even grew a little to fit his feet. Mal wiped her brow.
"I'm sorry, but I really need to go now." She told the crowd. "Please, go and have a good night's rest. I'll see you all tomorrow."
People retreated. Mal got to her knees shakily. "I'm sorry, but I can't do any more for a little bit." She told the people who hung around. They nodded and retreated sadly. More new citizens were still flooding through the entrance. The three Fae sat at their posts, patiently explaining everything to the newcomers. Mal was so grateful for them. She'd never have had the strength to do this all herself.
A boat was waiting down on the pier to take her home. She climbed on and slumped into a chair. "Home soon." She thought. It was seven o'clock, and the palace closed at nine. She needed to hurry, or she'd be locked out.
She yawned and brought out her phone to call Ben as the boat undocked and began to move through the ocean.
"Hey." He said when he picked up.
"Hey Honey." She teased. "I'm on my way now. You still up?"
"It's only seven." Ben laughed. "You sound tired."
"I just performed about a million magical acts of goodness." Mal yawned, rubbing her forehead. "Wait up for me?"
"Of course." Ben laughed, and there was the sound of papers shuffling around. "Hey, Mal, can you take Sunday off?"
"What's Sunday?" Mal asked with a frown.
"I have a surprise planned." He admitted.
"Oh no." Mal rolled her eyes. "Should I be worried?"
"Ha, ha." He laughed. "Can you?"
Mal sighed. "I dunno Ben. I'm really busy with the Isle. Can it wait?"
"Sorry, no, it can't. It's already waited too long." Ben said. "You don't even realize how hard it is to do things without you finding out."
"Guess that's what happens when you're involved with everything." Mal sighed. "Okay. I'll see what I can do. But Ben, I really can't be away too much. We're in a very delicate position on the Isle."
"I get it, I get it." Ben laughed. "It'll be worth it."
"Mph." Mal yawned. "You should have waited until I wasn't tired to ask me. Then I could have pretended to be excited."
Ben laughed. "It's fine." He assured her. "I love you anyway."
Mal smiled and cradled the phone closer to her ear. "I love you too." She whispered. "Be home soon."
"Bye Mal."
"Bye Ben."
She hung up and went to stand at the head of the boat as the waves crashed against the hull. She stared down into the water and thought she saw something zoom by, but when she looked up there was only the barrier separating her from Auradon, her third home.
The next morning, when Mal woke up, Ben was already up and in the closet, pulling on a shirt. Mal watched him straighten it out on his torso, yawned, and got to her feet. "Morning." She said as she wandered towards her own closet and began to search for a long shirt.
"Morning," Ben said. He turned around as he pulled a pair of tennis shoes off a shelf. "Nice to see you." He smiled.
Mal examined his outfit. He was wearing a polo shirt, blue jeans, and had a baseball cap tucked under his arm. Mal raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning on doing yard work or something today?" She asked as she found a pair of black jeans with rips and patches on the knees.
Ben sat down on the bed to tie his shoes. "I was hoping you'd let me tag along to the Isle." He said casually. "Is that okay?"
Mal snorted. "Now that you're already dressed and almost ready to go, sure. But you're not going to be able to sit around all day. Everyone's hard at work there."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Yes, because I'm getting dressed to stand around and watch everyone else work." Mal laughed as she grabbed her own pair of tennis shoes and went to sit beside him as they loosened laces and pulled their shoes on. Ben finished his as she was tying her second shoe, and when she put her foot on the ground, took her hand. She squeezed his hand, and then stood up.
"I need to brush my teeth." She said, slipping towards the bathroom. "Do you need to take anything with you? It's a two-hour trip."
"Want to watch a movie?" Ben asked.
Mal pictured the long car drive down to the pier to take the boat to the Isle. Truth be told, she'd rather not watch a movie, which was surprising because she did genuinely enjoy watching all the old Auradon heroes. But movies were for winding down, and Mal felt extremely awake.
"Not really," Mal admitted. "I'd rather just…" She pursed her lips in thought. "Talk with you. Catch up. Like, do you remember when I first came to Auradon and we'd climb the roof and just talk? We should do that. I just want to talk to you."
Ben chuckled and looked at his hands. "I'll bring a few decks of cards." He decided. "Even if we don't end up using them in the car, I'm sure the kids on the Isle would love to have a few packs to play with."
"Sounds good." Mal nodded. She hurried to brush her teeth, and then picked up her travel bag off the floor by the door where she'd dropped it the night before. "Just a forewarning, I will probably be performing more magic all day today that you've ever seen me use before, even when you were at the Moors."
"Cool," Ben said. "I can't wait."
Mal stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him. "You know what?" She said, drawing his attention. "You're really cool. I mean, for someone who was raised away from magic, thank you for being so open with me. It means a lot."
"Of course." Ben smiled. "Now, are you ready to head out?"
"More than ready." She smiled. "Come on, I have a kingdom that needs me."
Stewart drove them down to the dock again. As they pulled up, Mal noticed a crowd of people standing near her boat with lots of equipment. "Hm." She hummed. "That's new. I wonder who they are."
"Camera crews." Ben sighed. "Want to place a bet they're going to ask to come with?"
Mal sighed. "Should I let them?" She asked.
"It's up to you. Does the island need the publicity?" Ben asked.
Mal shrugged. "So-so. Alright, I think I'll let them tag along, but if they're annoying, there won't be a second time." She picked his baseball cap off the leather seat where he'd left it and put it on his head. He laughed at her.
They opened the car door. As soon as the camera crews spotted them, they began to head towards her. Mal ignored them as she went to the passenger-side window and thanked Stewart for driving them. He wished her luck on the Isle as always, and then drove off.
"Excuse me, your highnesses." One of the reporters said as they approached. "We wanted to ask for permission to journey with you to the Isle of the Lost. We want to gain footage of the inhabitants."
Mal eyed them up and down. "You're to ask everyone you film or photograph beforehand if it's alright. Also, don't try to tell me how to run my kingdom, or I'll get a little testy. Understood?"
A few of the reporters nodded. They were heavy-laden with notepads, pencils, and cameras, which they carried onto the boat and set carefully out of the way of the sailors. Mal sat down beside Ben, who tightened the strap on his hat to make sure it wouldn't be lost in the ocean wind and then pulled out a pair of sunglasses as he looked out over the waves. One of the braver reporters sat a little ways away from Mal and turned her knees towards the young Queen as she cleared her throat. "Do you have any jokes today?"
Mal smirked a little. "Is that what I am? The resident satirical jokester?"
"Yes." Ben nodded, rolling his eyes. "When God created you, he said 'let there be beauty, let there be magic, and let there be an abundance of sarcasm and jokes.'"
Mal laughed. "And when God created you, he said 'let there be kindness, let there be an overwhelming obsession with magic, and let there be way, way too much fascination with Big Hero Six."
"That's a great movie!" Ben protested. "I don't know why you laugh at me for wanting to watch it so much. It has wicked music, awesome animation, it talks about going to school and inventing things, it treats mental illness like a real thing, it's fantastic."
"How does Hiro Hamada like his food?" Mal asked, turning back to the reporter. "Microwaved."
Ben put a hand over her face as if that would stop her from talking. She licked his finger and he jumped his hand back, wrinkling his nose up, and shoved her playfully. The reporter laughed and inched closer. "Is it okay if I ask both of you a question?" She asked.
"Strike one," Mal replied, spiking an eyebrow at Ben before turning back.
"Do I get three strikes?" The reporter asked.
"Strike two." Mal nodded.
"How long do you see yourselves staying the way you are now?" The reporter asked, rolling her eyes a little bit and smiling.
Mal leaned back into Ben and looked up at him, humming. "A long time." She decided. "A long, long time."
"I hope we're still like this when we're old." Ben nodded, pausing to lean his chin on her head. "I want it to be like this until the day I die." Mal made a face at his cheesy line as the reporter smiled and scribbled a few notes down without looking at her notepad.
"And how long do you think it'll take before the Isle becomes a functioning country?" She asked, clicking her pen a little.
"Strike three is passed." Mal shook her head. "Let's just enjoy the boat ride. Maybe we'll answer more on the way home." She leaned her head back over the railing of the boat and let the wind whip through her locks. The reporter sighed but didn't press as she turned back to her peers and began to inscribe what she'd witnessed. Mal listened to the sounds of the ship as they disembarked and began to move into open water, across the Sea of Division. Most of the crew stayed above deck. The weather was nice, and the salty spray made their faces feel cool and sticky.
Finally, the ship docked at the Isle. They had to moor several tens of meters down the bay area because the water was full of people. Children who had been surrounded by water their entire lives were now out in the ocean, swimming under the hot sun. Faces that had never been clean before were squinting at the boat. One of the cameramen began to unpack his camera as the rest of the crew followed Ben and Mal off the gangplank.
"It's Mal!" Someone yelled in the water.
"Hi, Queen Mal!" Someone called.
Mal waved. "Hi, guys! How's the water?"
No one answered as they all climbed out. Most of them were still in their day clothes. Already, Mal saw lighter colors taking precedence among the black. It made sense that they'd want less skin-tight and black to keep them cool instead of the classic Isle-garb that both looked edgy and kept them warm.
Ben dropped an arm around Mal's shoulders as people came up to meet them. He held out a relaxed fist to bump knuckles with the younger kids. Many people crossed their arms and took up guarded stances as they recognized him. "I brought some people over today," Mal informed everyone. "I hope you guys don't mind."
A couple of the Islanders gave careful looks to the camera crews, and to Ben. Mal smiled and set a hand on her husband's shoulders. "This is my husband. He's going to be helping out today. And these are some people from Auradon who want to take photos and videos of the Isle and of you guys. I told them they had to get permission from everyone who is in the photos first."
There were uncomfortable shifts in the small crowd, but Mal remained tall. "If you don't want to be photographed, go about your business but please stay out of their way as much as possible. They've got things to do too. Now, I'm going to head over to check on the ladies who were helping people into the city, and then I'll be back to help fix things." People smiled and began to whisper excitedly. A couple of kids broke off from the group and sprinted away towards the apartment buildings to grab things.
The group let Mal through as she passed. She headed over to a gate. No one was checking in at the moment, and only Mercy was sitting at the gate. People wandered in and out, bringing things from the Isle. It occurred to Mal she had no way to prevent citizens from stealing off of islanders and bringing their things inside. She'd have to bounce ideas off of Ben later.
"Is everything alright?" She asked Mercy, who was growing live ivy out of the back of her hand and then making it disappear again.
"All is well." Mercy hummed. "It's nice to have you back, your highness." Mercy dipped her head towards Mal, and then Ben. "About fifty more people came in from the Isle last night. We refused access to ten on account of needing your judgment. Drizella Tremaine, Hans of the Southern Isles, and your mother, Maleficent, among others."
Mal felt her heart sink back into her chest. "Okay." She sighed. Ben set a hand on her shoulder blade comfortingly. "How many villains have been allowed inside?" Mal asked as she reached over her shoulder to pat his hand.
"Evelyn Deavor, Eliza's mother. Michael Yagoobian. And Robert Callahan." Mercy said, growing a little tree out of four of her fingers.
Mal glanced over her shoulder at Ben. "Your favorite villain." She told Ben, who snorted.
"Hardly." He replied. "Is Gaston here?"
"No. He shouldn't be." Mal looked to Mercy. "Have you let Gaston in? A large man, handsome, rugged type. A little more grey in his hair than black?"
"No." Mercy shook her hand.
"Are we starting a prohibited list?" A voice came from behind Mal. She turned around to see Eliza Deavor and her mother.
"I don't know." Mal sighed. "I don't want Gaston in because I know his reputation, and I don't know how powerful my mom is compared to me." She bit her lip. "This isn't really a second-chance based thing – it's for those who were born to those imprisoned here. I'm okay with letting people who learned their lesson in but for the people who are just going to make things difficult... I need to draw a line somewhere."
"We've been allowing people based on remorse and personal conviction." Mercy explained. "Magically speaking, we can sense intent. I'm the best of my kind, being mercy, which is why I'm here at the gates. My sisters decided to put some minor plant life around your small city, by the way. We decided if there was any sort of retribution in their spirit, we'd ask they leave." She stepped up and pointed a finger at Evelyn, who shrank a little at her imposing force. "We questioned you based on your ambitions, but ultimately let you through."
Mal nodded. "I think I can do that if I concentrate enough. I'll start doing that now. Are things slowing down, then?"
"Only barely." Mercy nodded. "The last person came through only five minutes ago. There are about three-hundred people inside now. They usually come in bursts of about twenty or thirty."
Mal nodded. "People are probably waiting to see if the word is all we've said it is." She hesitated. "Mercy, there are three other people I'm concerned about. Their names are Carlos, Jay, and Evie. Son of Cruella, son of Jafar and daughter of the Evil Queen. Have they come through at all?" Ben, upon hearing this question, crossed his arms and examined Mercy's expression.
"I wouldn't know." Mercy shook her head. "What do they look like?"
Mal began to wring her hands as she thought. "Evie has blue hair, and they all wear jackets similar to mine. Carlos-"
"No." Mercy interrupted. "I'm sorry, no."
"Oh." Mal wilted. "Okay. Thank you." She set a hand on Mercy's shoulder. "I'm going to go help out around the city now if that's okay. Did you say your sisters were creating plant life?"
"Flowers." Mercy said offhandedly. "Trees away from the buildings for the children to climb on."
"You should get a playground," Ben advised. Mal blinked at him. "It's an area with large toys for kids to play on, basically." Ben rolled his eyes. "I'll take you to one in Auradon so you can get ideas. I have a feeling you'll like the climbing structures."
Mal shrugged. "Sure." She sighed. "Let's put that on the agenda for the next day we both consecutively have a free day." Ben laughed.
"Thanks, Mercy," Mal said, turning away as the Fae began to grow a small pistachio tree on her fingernail. She looked at Eliza and Evelyn as the two began to follow her towards the nearby buildings. "How can I help you two?" She asked.
"Mom and I were hoping to be, like your assistants, as a job. We're good at keeping records and designing new things. If you give us a chance, I think we could really shine." Eliza explained, twisting her hands.
Mal blinked. "Actually, that would be really, really helpful. Then I wouldn't have to do everything myself."
"Are you ever going to set up a council?" Ben asked. "That way you wouldn't have to travel around and you could divide responsibilities a little bit."
Mal hummed in thought. "Yeah, that sounds nice. Maybe one day.: She stopped. "What I'm trying to accomplish now is helping everyone get settled in. Then, I'll help everyone set up businesses and jobs, including schools. Then, we'll start working to pay back Ben's country for all the loans they gave me to build this, and from there I'll put special effort into what the citizens want. We'll create councils which can raise ideas. Everyone, anyone with a card over sixteen, will have the opportunity to vote. Then I'll start making your dreams a reality. Do you like that idea?"
Evelyn and Eliza both locked gazes and nodded as if Mal's ideas made sense. Mal glanced at Ben and saw him nodding along to her words. "What about a justice system?" Evelyn asked.
"I am the justice system," Mal decided. "At least until we get going. Then, you guys can decide what you want to happen to the criminals around you. If you can't decide, I'll take over."
"I don't know if you want to do that." Eliza laughed. "Everyone is really, really against the idea of evil right now. You gave us all a chance to prove we can be good, and now we're all out to prove how much we hate evil." Evelyn snorted and started nodding, and Mal glanced back at Ben a little. Against evil. Hmm.
"Okay." Evelyn trailed off. "But, how can we hold you accountable for taking care of us?"
Mal shrugged. "I'm here, aren't I? If I do something wrong, let me know and I'll try to fix it. One day soon, it won't be so much 'I say, you do.'"
Evelyn looked a little skeptical, but Eliza nodded. "It must be hard to draw the line on an island of villains and criminals."
Mal sighed. "It is, but I won't let the innocent rot. Where do you think you should start first?"
Evelyn opened her mouth, but Eliza started talking before her mom could even take an opening breath. "Definitely start with taking records of who's in the city, because as soon as people start having children, we'll have the same problem as before on the Isle. Also, we should have paper records for non-magicals and magicals alike to make sure their possessions have been recorded, and we need to start hunting down people who can teach trade skills. And maybe we should like about registering people who have magical powers but I don't know how necessary that would be. We need to get people who can help upkeep the areas and people who can help in emergencies and-"
"Woah," Mal interrupted. "I love your ideas, but you'll wear yourself out if you do that much at once. If I got you a computer to work on, would that help you out?"
Eliza nodded shyly.
"Kay," Mal said. "I'll get you and your mom a tablet with a keyboard because they're more portable anyway. Here-" She pulled a notebook and a pen out of her travel bag. "I think this is brand-new." She flipped through the book. "Yup. Here, you can have this to scribble ideas down, if you want."
Eliza took the book with a smile. "Thank you, Queen Mal." She said.
"Just Mal." Mal waved as she began to walk towards the buildings. People were gathering with broken items, waiting for her. "I've got to go help these people now. Take a break and enjoy the sunshine. I'll get back to you. Have a nice day." Eliza and her mother waved goodbye as Ben and Mal headed to the crowd gathered.
About thirty people were gathering with battered, torn objects in their hands of next to them. Right off the cuff, Mal could see tables, chairs, mirrors, toys, coats, blankets, all manner of utensils. People ranging from eight to older ages of fifty and sixty, some with dirty faces and all with pale, sallow skin watched with rapt attention as she hurried toward them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Mal said.
"Queen Mal?" A large man with broad shoulders asked with a dry throat. "We heard you can heal broken items."
Mal shrugged. "Well, I seem to be pretty talented at it lately. The Isle, the Moors, etc."
"Can you fix our things?" A tall woman said as she held a battered jewelry box in her thin hands.
"Sure." Mal shrugged. She held out her hands and the woman carefully placed her box in them. As Mal spoke the incantation, the box lit up and mended itself. Parts of the wood that weren't even present and which had been lost were suddenly summoned into existence. She handed the box to the woman, who began to tear up and shake.
"Thank you." She whispered as tears fell out of her eyes and began to stain her cheeks through the dirt under her eyes.
"Absolutely no problem." She said, even as she watched the Auradon Reporters creep closer. This would be the first time that Auradon would see her use magic. She hoped that no one would be angry at Ben for standing by and not condoning her as a small woman brought forward a small table with a broken, duct-taped fourth leg and set it at her feet.
By the time she'd fixed that table, a small necklace, and an old, broken coffee machine, the reporters had spotted her. They were silent as they crept forward. One man had a rather large camera slung up on top of his left shoulder. They readied it. Mal wasn't sure if they'd already seen her performing magic, but she decided to give them a show. She pulled a small girl with dull blue eyes and grey cheeks out of the crowd. Her fingers were wrapped tightly in bandages and she held a small, dirty bird in her hands that once upon a time might have been blue. Mal took the bird from the little girl's hand's carefully and uttered her healing incantation. One of the reporters let out a little breath as she handed the bird to the girl before she took her hands. "To see you whole is my only goal; I give you hands to help me heal these lands."
It was the first time Mal had tried a healing spell, and she wasn't surprised when she immediately felt tired. As the bandages unraveled, Mal caught evidence of scar tissue and dead skin clinging to the wounds. Green light quickly patched up the lacerations. Mal let a smile stretch across her face as she watched that little girl's face turn from sheer happiness to amazement-stricken awe. She carefully turned her hands one way, and then the other. She flexed her fingers to feel the muscles move. She used one hand to gently prod the other and then looked up at Mal in utter shock.
The girl flung herself forward into Mal's arms for a hug before she stepped back and picked up her toy bird with silent tears forming in her eyes. She pushed a little lever with one finger and watched the wings move up and down, just like it was flying.
Ben let out a breath behind her. "Wow." He whispered. "I wish I could do that."
Mal laughed. "I can't do many more of those, or I'll pass out from over-use."
A teenaged boy whistled. "Maybe your kids will be able to do that. That'd be cool."
A girl about four inches shorter than the boy punched him in the arm. "No, stupid." She said. "Queen Mal can't have kids. They said so on TV."
Mal raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I can." She corrected.
"Really?" The girl asked.
Mal hesitated. "Well, actually, I haven't tried. But if I don't know, there's no way anyone else could know, so you might as well forget that rumor." She reached for a tattered shirt and returned to healing things as people talked around her.
After about thirty minutes, most everything had been healed and Mal was exhausted. She sat on the ground and took short breaks in between every spell. Finally, Ben put a hand on her shoulder. "That's enough." He told her. You'll wear yourself out. Time to rest a little."
Even though there were only ten more people with old items in their hands, Mal knew he was right. "I'm sorry." She told everyone. "I need to rest, or I'll pass out or seriously hurt myself. Please, come find me later and I'll finish as much as I can."
Everyone nodded their heads and hurried to their new homes with their possessions. Ben leaned down and took hold, one hand on her back and the other on her arm, on her to help her up. As she put her feet on the ground and started to get to her feet, a pair of black boots stopped in her field of vision. She stood up and found herself still overshadowed by a man with silver piercings and blue ink curling around his ear. She recognized him as someone she'd personally given a card to the day before.
"Can I help you?" Mal asked slowly, examining the hostile stance he had taken up. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to put Ben at her side. He put his hands in his pockets and smiled at the man.
"How strong are you really?" The man asked, fists tightening into balls.
Mal narrowed her eyes. "Why do you need to know?" She asked.
"What's the worst you could do?" The man demanded. "If I decided that I wanted to bust down one of your doors to those buildings over there and take it for myself, how're you going to stop me?"
Mal's eyes flashed. "I'll send you out in chains." She decided. "I worked too hard for punks like you to mess everything up."
The man lunged left at a passerby and snatched a book out of their hands. He made to tear it in half threateningly, and people yelled around them. Mal braced her hands and her fists erupted into fire, but before she could do anything someone in a black vest and coat had tackled him to the ground. Three other men and two women pounced on the thug, ripping the book out of his hands and pulling their head back, exposing his neck. Mal let her fists fizzle out in shock as she watched the five angry citizens.
"Woah!" Ben exclaimed. "Guys, guys, calm down!"
Immediately, all five looked up in shock at the two leaders. "He was gonna hurt their book! He stole!" One of the women, who had a nose ring and cornrows in her hair, protested.
"We don't want no crime here!" One of the men protested, bracing a fist behind his head like he was about to punch the thug in the face. "You give it up at the gate or you go back because we're sick of fighting for scraps!"
"If I'm gonna fight for something, I'm gonna fight to never go back to the Isle again." The second woman hissed. "You don't get to bring that over here."
"Right, of course." Mal nodded immediately. Her eyes were wide, and she could feel how dry her mouth had gone. "We're not bringing crime over here. But… could you please get off him for a second? I think he was just trying to prove a point."
Slowly, the five got up, carefully releasing his head while they continued sending him devilish looks. They brushed themselves off and cracked their knuckles while the original thug sat up slowly, glaring around menacingly. He squinted up at Mal. "You're serious about this then?" He demanded. "No crime, no stealing, no evil. You actually expect us to leave it all at the gate like it was never a part of us?"
"I expect effort." Mal narrowed her eyes. "This isn't an opportunity to bring evil to a new place. It's a chance to escape poverty and receive a fair chance. Emphasis on fair. For everyone. I won't allow gang activity or evil here."
"I thought you were Maleficent's daughter?" The man screwed up his face. "I thought you were just sayin' all that crap."
Mal shook her head and the man tightened his fists even more. He glanced around at the hostile gazes of those around him – the people who'd snatched the book back, the disapproving citizens who clearly agreed with those who'd launched out, and the King and Queen themselves. Then he dug into his pocket and withdrew a dark violet card. He extended it to her with a scowl. "I don't want any of your goodness crap. If I have to be good here, I don't want a place."
Mal took the card back. His name vanished off of it and it became a blank card. Mal swallowed. "You have fifteen minutes to collect your things before the barrier ejects you. Once you leave, you can't return without receiving another card. If you attempt to break any of my rules before you leave, you will be immediately ejected with none of your belongings returned."
The man walked right in between her and Ben, elbowing them both aside as he headed directly for the exit. No one said a word as they watched him hit the gateway to the rotten part of the Isle and disappear from view. Mal's fingers felt icy.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder with an electric blue card. Two people who were dressed similarly to the man who'd just left extended their cards out to her, looking sullen. Mal took both cards, watched the names disappear, and then watched them follow what she assumed was their gang leader out of the city. One person with the same blue tattoo curling along their hairline watched them go, hands deep in their pockets, and then turned away. They would be the only member of the group to stay.
Ben put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay." He whispered.
Mal nodded and looked at the blank card in her hand with a heavy sigh. "It won't happen again." She decided. "I'm going to check people's intentions as they come in like Mercy suggested." She exhaled and straightened up. "I want to decorate the entrance with these, actually. Come on, we'll seal all the others into the walls to keep people from trying to sneak them."
"Actually, I'm going to see if anyone needs any help carrying things up." Ben decided. He kissed her cheek. "Can I text you?"
"Of course." Mal nodded with a smile. "We'll catch up later."
"We will." Ben agreed and turned away to walk closer to the buildings, looking for people to help. Mal went the other direction, where she could see a group of people waiting to receive cards. Now seemed like as good a time as ever to pick up on Mercy's skills.
I have planned out the upload schedule all the way to the end(50 chapters plus an epilogue). During the Holiday Season(New Year's and Dec25th), there will be double chapters. The Epilogue will be released January 1st, 2020(Gosh, that just worked out great, didn't it?)
Many of you who have been reviewing are aware of what important, game-changing thing is going to happen next chapter. I promise, It'll be a different story after this.