Forgot to mention this because someone pointed this out to me: This story is pre-Descendants 2 if it's not obvious.

ENJOY!

At Fairy Godmother's cottage...

3rd POV

"Between the magic mishaps..." (Shows Jane snatching Fairy Godmother's wand and the wand fighting against her as magic is sparking out)...to the climactic entrance of the Mistress of Evil...(shows Maleficent entering coronation hall and turning into a dragon)...just when you thought Auradon has been through enough disturbing misfortunes, nothing hurt more than when Mal, daughter of Maleficent and the soon-to-be-King Ben's girlfriend, took hold of the wand and revealed her sinister plans for her and her accomplices to take over Auradon! Seems like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or rather, the evil fairy herself," Snow White stated in a serious tone on the news.

"Are you kidding me!?" Jane exclaimed in her pajamas as she watched the late-night Auradonian news on her living room couch. "First off, is there nothing better on tv to watch? Secondly, they're making me look like a bumbling fool!"

"Maybe because you are?" Lonnie stated humorously through the phone. She was watching the same thing TV special from her Siheyuan - courtyard house - in the Northern Wei while her parents and Li'l Shang were out.

"You're being mean!" Jane accused.

"And you were being an idiot! And that's why Maleficent had a chance to get out the Isle!" Lonnie answered back truthfully. "And you know it too."

Jane opened her mouth, prepared to defend herself, but ended up closing it. She honestly had nothing to say to defend her humiliating display on national television. And honestly, she felt she deserved it.

Her mother had been furious with her after they were escorted out of the coronation hall and after interrogating Mal and the others, learning how she had let herself become enticed with magic and her insecurities, and to act on them on one of the most important days in Auradon's history...

Jane had practically wept herself in shame for how impulsive her action had been until her mother had calmed down herself to stop and embrace her. The Fairy Godmother told her that looks aren't everything and that if she wanted to, she could grow her hair out on her own. But regardless of how she looks, she told Jane that magic shines the most when a person believes in themselves. Yes, while she first gained a physical appearance thanks to Cinderella, but she had long existed within magic itself, coming to those who needed a light in their darkest time.

It took a while until Jane realized what exactly her mother was referencing to:

Hope.

So though her mother grounded her, Jane was allowed to study magic under her tutelage until she was ready. That way, the wand, should she ever hold it again, won't fight with her as much.

"By the way, aren't you grounded indefinitely? Won't your mom get mad at you if she catches you watching TV?" Lonnie asked, a little worried for her friend.

"Don't worry, I asked. She still hasn't lifted my punishment, slightly. I still am, but she made me swear to watch the news while she was gone. Think she knew what they would be showing about me in ANN?" Jane surmised.

Lonnie laughed. "If she did, then she's even gutsier than I gave her credit for!"

Jane just rolled her eyes mirthfully and continued to watch the segment on news.

"With what my sources have given me, the great betrayal of the villains' kids has left a sore spot in the broken hearts of Auradon Prep students, including none so more than Prince Ben, who has yet to give any comments regarding his coronation or what happened to Mal, her status, and where she is being held now..."

"And he has the right not to disclose anything!" Lonnie screamed, so furious that Jane had to pull the phone away from her ear. "He's not just brokenhearted guy who's shutting himself out! He's a would-be king whose about to have the throne taken away from him!"

This new information sat Jane right up in her seat. "What!?"

"Uh-huh," Lonnie growled bitterly, her eyes on the TV screen. Between her, Doug, and Ben, they did their best when they welcomed the VKs into Auradon since Day One. They tried to get to know them, their lives on the Isle - which couldn't have been easy - and she even joined in on getting better hair thanks to Mal - and boy, did her mother have words with her about that- and this is how they repay them!? The only three people (minus Fairy Godmother) possibly in Auradon who wanted them there, and they not only ruin Ben's day but plotted to poison the country from the inside out!?

Lonnie liked to believe she didn't hate easily. But if there was one thing that crossed the line, it was traitors.

"How did you know this? I didn't know this and I'm sure it would have been mentioned by now!" Jane gasped.

"You people tend to forget, Jane, that unlike a good portion of the AP student body who originates from some type of either royal or magical background, my brother and I are born to certified war heroes!" Lonnie gritted, still angry. "My dad was a general before he was a teacher and my mother saved the Emporer and all of the Nortgern Wei! When all this went down, my parents were called into action to help with the investigation, which without being said is obvious, and one way or another, I'm kept in on the loop. Besides, you'd have to be an idiot to think all of this is gonna happen and that Ben wasn't going to be held some accountability!"

"But it's Ben!" Jane yelled. "He didn't know this would happen and he's just as much of a victim of this as...as..."

Jane stopped the moment the person's name came into view in her mind.

Audrey.

"Yeah," Lonnie breath, calming down, "that was the thought that came to mind, but I had to put myself in, say, my dad's place and I could see where this was coming from. Yeah, sure the people picked him during the elections, but if I was in a high-ranked position and the person I was supposed to serve under got duped so badly that it could've spelled disaster for the country? Yeah, my faith in them would be badly shaken too. But yes, and you didn't hear this from me! You're mom probably already knows this, especially since she's the head of the investigation, and Ben will need to speak up soon. As his friend, I'd give him all the time he needed. But if he still wants at least another shot at holding his seat and becoming King, then he's going to need to get his story straight and better set up a press conference soon. And that's only just the beginning..."

Jane managed to catch most of what her friend was saying, but her mind was still on the Princess of Auroria.

If anyone had asked her about the girl, Jane wouldn't exactly be wrong to say the girl came off strong and sometimes a little vain, especially towards her, but she wasn't as bad as people thought she was. Audrey could be caring and kind in her way, but Jane would also admit to having a rocky relationship her when Mal entered the picture. She never approved of using magic to make someone look pretty, and then faced herself with taunting Mal and her relationship with Ben after Family Day after all she had done for her, which resulted in having her old hairdo again! Before the coronation, the Fairy Godmother's daughter had felt guilty about what she had said and sworn she'd apologize to her (after she fixed her hair) and dropped Audrey, thinking she'd deserved a better friend than her and she was tired of her constant dislike of Mal.

But now, as recalled the mask of indifference on Audrey's face when she severed their friendship, how she tried to keep her posture and accepted, telling her not to come crying if Mal turned out not to be what she thought, how Jane almost believed her harsh and seemingly uncaring words as she turned away like a true noble would, but caught a glimpse of tears running down the princess's cheeks as walked away...

If she saw Audrey again at school, an apology wouldn't even cut it.

"Following the events of the failed coronation, I tried to get in contact with the witnesses who were there and with the school being temporarily closed for an unscheduled break, I took the time find some of the students who also bore witness to the spectacle..."

Jane and Lonnie both groaned and grumbled at Snow's persistence at a story. Aside from the coronation and Ben, there was nothing else to tell (that wasn't already known to the public).

But then, a familiar face popped up on the screen.

"Tina?!" Jane marveled.

"Who?" Lonnie asked.

Trying to keep her words together, Jane quickly spoke, "Tina is the daughter of two fairies, the most prominent one being Tinkerbell!"

It took a moment for Lonnie to answer until she utters, "Crap."

Jane remembers Tina too well. At first glance, anyone would think she was just like her mother, and they wouldn't be wrong. She's ambitious, temperamental, impulsive and impatient at best, and she butted heads with Audrey, especially when competing to be cheer captain. Even though she didn't get it, their relationship never changed and ironically, she was one of the many people who rooted for Ben's declaration of love to Mal!

Oh, Jane wasn't sure she was going to like whatever she was going to say.

Lonnie knew her too well and the thought of her made her want to punch her lights out. She was extremely feminine and constantly taunted Lonnie for her hobbies and looks, which didn't make sense because Lonnie always thought she could be girly and like to swordfight and dance hip-hop. Chalking that up to jealousy, Tina also vied for Ben's affection, which Audrey was doing at the time too. The latter won before Ben dumped her for Mal, and recalled her snobby attitude when the VKs arrived.

"Ms. Tina, what do you recall about the coronation that day? Were you shocked, angered, surprised? Any opinions you would like to share about Prince Ben?" Snow asked.

"She better not!" Jane and Lonnie yelled simultaneously.

"Well, I was sitting up in the balcony when it happened. First off, Jane looked like a nutjob when she took the wand! Like seriously, you're having an existential crisis now!?" Tina started.

Jane just started glaring daggers to the TV, as if hoping they would hit her.

"But then Mal started spewing words of...evilness out of her mouth. It was like she was possessed and nothing was stopping her from degrading Auradon like we didn't just do you a favor and get you and your friends off that stinking mess of a garbage island!" Tina barked. "But I know it couldn't have been easy to be Ben in that situation, especially when you are apparently under a Love Spell! But frankly, he brought it upon himself and I hope he answers for it..."

"That's it! The next time I see her, I'm knocking her pearly white teeth out!" Lonnie roared, jumping up like she could go into the TV and do harm her herself.

"But, if there was anyone I had to say who I feel sorry for in all of this..."Tina halted, contorting her face into a sad expression, "it would be Audrey."

And just like that, the two girls, despite being in two different places, dropped their jaws in dumbstruck, completely lost for words.

"Audrey? As in Princess Audria of Auroria? Queen Aurora and King Philip's daughter?" Snow White questioned, shocked herself.

Tina nodded. "From the very start, she was never fond of the idea of the VKs coming to town, but of course, it was bad between her and Mal. You know, her mother cursed her family and all? Family feuds that trickled down to the family legacies and honestly, it wasn't so surprising at first. Then, she was so sure the VKs were up to something, right? I mean, don't get us wrong, we were all cautious at first. But then, they didn't seem so bad and the girls, especially Mal, were getting pretty popular and then Jay and Carlos won the championship tourney game and it was all '"WHOO HOO!"'...until Ben practically burst into song and dance, while giving her his jersey, asking Mal to be his girlfriend ...while he was still dating Audrey..."

Jane didn't even have words to say, still struck speechlessly, but Lonnie wasn't.

And for the Asian girl's sake, it was a good thing too that her family wasn't home because the foul language she started using would have gotten soap in her mouth and it didn't do the situation enough justice as it deserved!

Tina was slandering Ben's name all while bringing Audrey into the full midst of it!

"Oh...My...God! He did this!? Was he under the Love Spell at the time?" Snow implored.

"Now that everything's out in the open, it would make so much sense if he was! It was practically the equivalent of a flashmob and everyone was cheering like of course he would get with Mal! By then, with all the excitement in the air, everyone was jumping and cheering, and nobody saw poor Audrey run off the field, crying her eyes out," Tina pouted, looking like she felt sorry for Audrey.

"But I heard she got with Prince Chad?" Snow asked.

"With due all respect, anyone who just got ultimately humiliated and dumped in front of the entire school by their now-ex would do anything to save face. That of which includes getting with the spoiled prince," Tina sighed."By then, even if she did get with Chad, with a justified reason to hate Mal, Audrey spent more time than screaming about how something was wrong, that Ben shouldn't be trusting the VKs and Mal...Well, Mal got the worst of it. See, by then, everyone had thought she was crazy, even I was beginning to think so, that she was so full of vengeance. A victim of Scorned Love, you know. Especially by Family Day when I heard that her grandmother, Queen Leah, met Mal and freaked out! Understandable, considering what Maleficent did to Queen Aurora, but still, it ended badly, and though people started to fear the VKs, especially Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter, who talked trash to her and got an unflattering hairdo as a result! But for Audrey, her behavior sent almost everyone packing and she was practically alone. No one wanted anything to do with her. Why should they? Whether they feared the VKs or not, it was like picking between two evils and they seemed more preferable to her. Even Jane thought so and they were, like, best friends. Or they were."

Not realizing the tears running down and staining her cheeks, Jane was shaking in disbelief at everything that was unfolding on national news.

Everyone knew what she did. She wasn't proud of it, of course not, but she had hoped to at least get a moment alone with Audrey - if she got the chance- and talk to her. But now she can't.

Everyone knew.

There seemed to be sniffling in the background, indicating that Snow White was just as saddened by the story as Jane was. "Poor dear, how did she managed to get through all of that? At the coronation, she seemed happy enough."

"My only guess is the princess training," Tina shrugged, feigning sympathy. "That, and the fact that it was Prince Ben's big day and she loved him enough to let him go and be with Mal, no matter how much it hurt her. She had no one else to lean on, she played her part as a beloved princess and friend watching the boy she loved become King...until everything went downhill from there and the ugly truth came out. Yes, it was unbelievable heartbreaking to see the students who had come to like Mal and the VKs show their true colors, especially Ben, but my heart goes out to Audrey, who I know from this point on is going to get nothing but empty apologies thrown at her for not believing in her."

"But do you believe she'll accept them?" Snow asked, her voice croaked in tears.

"Maybe, as Princess Audrey, she'll feel obligated to. But as just Audrey, she would never believe a word that comes out of anyone's mouth again. Why would she? She tried to warn us and we rejected her and made her a pariah. She'll never trust anyone again," Tina confessed, wiping down tears as they ran own and then looked directly at the camera. "So, Audrey, if you're watching this, I just wanted to let you know that I am so, so sorry for not believing in you."

The scene changes to a different background where Snow White, who now looks more noticeably like she had heavy makeup done, raised her microphone to her lips before speaking.

"This is..." her voice rasped before getting more control over it again, "this is Snow White reporting back to you after hearing such a heartwrenching story from a student of Auradon Prep in her recounts of the failed coronation, her views in Ben's future, and the sad and gutwrenching tale of how her dear friend, Princess Audrey, had fallen from grace in the light of trying to protect her classmates."

"THAT A LOAD OF CROC AND YOU KNOW IT!" Lonnie screamed from the other side, her voice sounding hoarse from the flying profanities that had left her mouth earlier. "Well, not about the Audrey part, but THE IDEA THAT TINA WAS HER 'DEAR' FRIEND! THERE'S NOTHING 'DEAR' ABOUT HER EXCEPT SHE'S NOTHING BUT A SELFISH-"

"Lonnie, be quiet!" Jane shouted, tears still running but shaking in anger as well. Jane swore the minute she could practice her magic, Tina would have another thing coming for her!

"Judging from my sources now, the Princess of Auroria and her family have not been taking comments ever since the day of the coronation and have been keeping silence in regards to what happens next regarding the future king or their daughter. But in spite of that, I hope that during this period in time that we, as the people of Auradon, will find it in ourselves will band together and try to make sense of these series of unfortunate events. And for the royal family of Auroria, I offer my sincerest apologies for what pain your young princess must be going through and my prayers that she won't feel as alone as she believes. This is Snow White of the Auradon News Network, signing out."

Both girls sat in silence as the news went straight to commercial. They didn't want to say anything, because what could be said that wasn't already screamed, cried, or shout out?

The fact that Tina made an entire news spectacle, berating Ben and his choices, making look like a complete buffoon?

The Fact that Tina used the pain of others to raise to some sort of 15-minutes of fame as the person who watched key events go down in her twisted version?

Or the fact now that people knew what students like Jane did to Audrey wand would hounding her doorway from now on like its some major inside scoop?!

Lonnie was the first to speak.

"Jane?' she asked eerily calmly, "Please tell me that of all the bull that was spewing out of that green Christmas trinket's mouth, that none of the things she said about what happened between you and Audrey is true?"

Jane wished at that moment, she could say no. She wished she could say it wasn't what it sounded like. That she cast away her best friend for nothing.

But she couldn't. It would be a lie, and Jane didn't deserve to be called anyone's friend after this.

Unbeknownst to Jane and Lonnie, nearly every single person with access to television was watching this news broadcast, from all 18 regions of Auradon who heard this story, from royalty to commoners alike.

Even a certain prince in Beast Castle who had his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking in guilt.

Two weeks later...

Just like Jane had thought, the paparazzi were following Audrey's family like hungry hyenas, looking for their next prey to feast on!

And no one was more angrier about it than King Philip.

Whenever they went out, cameras were following them everywhere, asking them to comment on the royal gossip or Audrey, to which King Philip had to fight to hold his tongue as he was baited to say one word that would reflect badly on his family.

Queen Leah had been nothing but regal and respectful when she received phone calls from magazines and news anchors to comment about her granddaughter, to which she simply declined and asked them not to try to reach her again.

Queen Aurora took her mother's example and tried to do the same thing, especially when he needed to go on outings that required her attention. When asked about Audrey, she would answer, "She's fine", "My daughter is actually looking forward to moving on from this delicate situation", "I have no comment on Prince Ben and anything regarding his relationship with Audrey", and "There is nothing left to say that I haven't already said."

But King Philip had the most trouble keeping calm. Despite his best efforts, he tried to not end up snapping at the reporters regarding his daughter and her silence and unseen whereabouts from society. Out in public, he tried to remain as strong as unmoving as his father did in times of crisis, but once he was in his castle, he didn't hesitate to go to Audrey's bedroom.

The poor girl had watched the broadcast that night and had holed herself in her room the next day, only letting in servants to bring her food. To Audrey, it was like the game all over again, but it got worst. Her phone was blaring up, calls from news anchors, gossip magazines and, to her worst, classmates that she didn't want to speak to. It was one thing if the whole incident had stayed a high school incident, but considering the pressure her family was under, it made her want to hide in her room and hope she never comes out.

Eventually, Queen Leah was ready to put her foot down and remove the door so she could be forced out, but King Philip managed to convince Audrey to let him in and in exchange, he would let her do whatever she wanted regarding the most obscene things like painting his nails, put accessories in his hair or just talk. He didn't mind it really (well, he could admit he rathered have Aurora in his place than him at times), but anything to distract her from the outside world was enough for the king.

But not to say they were alone in the matter.

When Tinkerbell learned what her daughter did, she just whisked the teenager away to Pixie Hollow to stay with her father to distribute pixie dust and apologized for the mess she made. Hopefully, it would teach her daughter respect for slandering important names.

When Fairy Godmother confronted Jane about what happened, the girl broke down in tears and the mother couldn't help but console her, seeing that her child regretted her action.

Lonnie got caught swearing by her grandmother, who told her parents, but once she explained it to them, they let her have a pass but restricted her from hip hop- assuming she got it from the music lyrics...

And as for Ben, his family received some of the worst backlashes. Out of guilt, he added his parents to the list of people 2 people who knew that the Love Spell was not active on his coronation day and why.

And King Adam was livid. His words:

"Do you have any conceivable idea what you've done!? First, you got a Love Spell put on you against your will. Secondly, when said spell wore off, you didn't even try to confront the culprit and report her for the obvious abuse of magic. Thirdly, you let the young girl who spelled you into your inner circles as she was getting closer and close to the wand, just like she wanted. Fourthly, you commit an entire spectacle of yourself, in front of many people, including the children who had videos of it that are currently being spread across the country as we speak. And last but not least, you completely humiliated the princess and only daughter of one of our allies and disrespected her in the worst ways possible, leaving it up in the air if Auroria would want to sever their ties with us in her defense! I hope you learned a valuable lesson about rational thinking, my son, because clearly, you haven't even been thinking about your actions in the first place!"

Belle had managed (hardly) to calm her angry husband down as she looked at her son in dispair. She knew he was paying for his actions already and throwing them in his face, no matter how justified, wouldn't help.

But there is one thing they all agreed upon: Audrey must be given the chance to speak for herself before this is too blown out of proportion.