Chapter Four: Never Enough
The Isle was a maze to the outside eye, alley ways intersecting markets intersecting neighborhoods that laid in shadows of crumbling manors. But those who had lived there for over twenty years knew it like the back of their hand.
One boy in particular was very good at navigating the Isle, having been sent around on errands for his uncles nearly all his life. Doug, son of Dopey, was abnormally tall and wore a poorly made green sweater and cracked glasses. He lived in a towering apartment building that was filled with his large family and the constant noise they created. He clambered out the window of his closet-sized room and down the fire escape until he reached the ground below where a sprawling market unfolded before him.
Doug ducked through the crowds, taking time to help an old lady organize her stale cookies, get a little boy his kite off a broken light post, and drop an apple in the hands of a homeless beggar.
Finally, he turned down another alley and saw the looming structure that overlooked this section of the Isle. It was an ancient Chinese inspired wall made of stone that contained three tall buildings with flared roofs and falling tile. The courtyard was full of weeds and bumpy stones, but the burning lamps were never dim. A sign hung outside on the stone fence, pointing toward the closest of the three buildings: "Fa Chinese Food, Made Just for You!"
Doug walked through the open gate and past the building's open doors that music was spilling out of. He smiled at Shang, the once famous war general who was now waiting tables. Mulan was in the kitchen in the back, looking out through the window at her patrons, the steam of the dumplings making her hair frizz.
Doug continued on, past the smaller building that housed the Fa family, to the tallest building at the back of the courtyard: the Fa family dojo. When he entered, he was met by the smell of sweat and the shouts of the many young people around him.
The floor was covered in crumbly mats and the walls were covered with rusted weapons, in particular, bo staffs. A meditation area was set in a corner and a lounge area was in another, with a TV that was on the fritz and knock-off snacks. The room was filled with teens practicing their martial arts moves with each other, blocking hits and rolling away from high kicks.
Doug grabbed one of the bo staffs in the stand by the door that was sitting under the sign reading "weapon required." He approached the girl in the center of the room, her pink work out tank painted with black lotus flowers, her teal work out sweats tied tight around her waist. She spun around, her black ponytail fluttering behind her, and grinned as Doug approached.
He lunged but he knew he never really had a chance. The girl ducked, dodged and spun behind him, pressing her staff against his back.
"I yield," Doug sighed. "Again."
The girl laughed and put her staff onto one of the shelves on the wall. "That's, what, thirty-seven for me and…how many for you Doug?"
"None, Lonnie." Doug turned and fist bumped his oldest childhood friend, the daughter of Mulan and Shang. "Your parents must be proud."
Lonnie just rolled her eyes. "As if they'd even notice. I'm going to have to do extra dish duty for missing the lunch rush to train."
The pair went over to the lounging corner where other teens were watching the flickering news report from Auradon. Lonnie plopped herself onto a beanbag while Doug folded his gangly legs as he sat on the floor. They both grabbed a box of Chinese food from Lonnie's parents' restaurant that was sitting on the lopsided table and watched an image of Ben flicker onto the screen.
Lonnie scowled and flung a piece of orange chicken at the TV, leaving a greasy smear on Ben's face.
"Poser," she bit out.
"Traitor," Doug agreed.
Lonnie's eyes flicked to the others watching the broadcast and they flung noodles and fortune cookies at the TV in solidarity.
"I'd love to show them what heroes do to real villains," Doug grumbled as he reached for the nearly empty bottle of soy sauce. "You know what I mean?"
"Maxwell, you're going to drive my parents out of business," Lonnie snapped, snatching a box of fried rice from the boy's hands.
He blinked his dark eyes that were hidden by unruly black hair. His blue workout sweatshirt had an outline of fairy wings on the back and his lighter blue sweats were dirty from both the lack of laundry machine and his mother Merryweather's inability to actually do many household tasks. His aunts, Flora and Fauna, weren't much better.
Lonnie turned back the group, on a roll as her anger built. "That little traitor. Who left us in the dirt."
"Turned his back on goodness," Doug added.
"Who said you weren't good enough to join his order of knights," Maxwell said.
Lonnie froze and the others turned to look at him. Maxwell, taking their silence for misunderstanding, explained. "Back when we were kids? Remember Adam and Charming were starting that knight order for all the kids, and they didn't let Lonnie join because she was a girl."
Lonnie broke the chopstick she was holding.
Doug stabbed a piece of chicken. "They said I wasn't strong enough when I asked to join."
Maxwell nodded. "And fairies couldn't be heroes."
"And a girl can't be a knight," Lonnie repeated. "My mother saved China, she single-handedly ended a war, and what happens? Nothing! Those princes and kings can't comprehend a girl doing anything heroic. So I had to start my own clan, my own army of warriors trained in ancient fighting techniques. But it didn't matter, we were still second rate to them.
"And now those same boys are in Auradon, who fell to greed and evil and left us nothing!"
"But we have the Isle now," Doug cut in. "With the main knight boys gone, everyone is looking to our clan for help. We're fighting the good fight."
"The fight isn't here!" Lonnie exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She pointed wildly at the TV where Ben was hand in hand with Mal. "The fight is there. The Isle, goodness itself, should not be bowing to evil!
"Son of Merryweather." Maxwell looked up from playing with a loose thread on his shirt.
"Son of Dopey." Doug swallowed his last bite of chicken and nodded.
"My most trusted allies. And me, daughter of Mulan. My family name means something. Our name means something. We're going to fight for goodness, we're going to win, and when we do, they will forget about him. They will remember us!"
And the warrior's cheer could be heard across the Isle.
Ben was running in the halls again. He passed Dr. Facilier and nearly expected a reprimand, but none came. There were certainly perks to attending a school that encouraged reckless and cruel behavior.
Ben crashed into his locker and spun the dial, mentally tallying up everything that needed to be done today. His history essay on cursed household items needed polishing and there was a moldy cauldron in his room ready for the final spell ingredients. Plus, Chad wanted him to go out to dinner with the Dueling Squad, in case he wanted to join even though try outs were long over. And there was one more thing that was escaping him…
"Are you ready for today?"
Ben jumped and turned to see Mal standing before him (again), her circlet crown straight for once, wearing a dragon scale dress with green fire curling on the skirt, leather wings attached to her back.
"Today?" Ben repeated. "Yes. And today is…?"
"The Judgement," Mal reminded him.
"That's Thursday." Ben began exchanging books out of his lockers. Maybe he could squeeze in a study session today for the spell-table he was supposed to memorize.
"It is Thursday"
"No, it's not," Ben laughed, shaking his head.
"Yes, it is." Mal pulled out her phone and he glanced at the lock-screen, a goofy selfie of them from the night of Mal's coronation.
"Huh." Ben felt his stomach drop. "It is Thursday."
"Are you not ready?" Mal asked, narrowing her eyes. "You don't have to do this, you know. It's only supposed to be the rulers."
"And their partners," Ben snapped. He'd been studying evil kingdom tradition in addition to all his classes. Just in case.
"Presented partners. You're not part of the court."
"Yet." Ben took one of Mal's hand and smiled what his mother had called his 'want something' smile. "The Cotillion is only a few days away and I want to prove to everyone here that I deserve to be in that court. And that means going above and beyond. So, I will be there, and we will be great."
"If you say so," Mal laughed, kissing him lightly, then headed off as other students ducked out of her path, leaving Ben to try not to hyperventilate.
The throne room was massive. The ceiling soared overhead, all black stone and intricate carvings. Bronze plates hung from it, filled with green fire, illuminating the room below. Black and green marble twisted together on the floor, leading the assembly down to the platform that towered over everyone. Atop the platform was normally a singular throne, one that resembled a purple dragon with black diamond eyes and wings flaring out with fire shaped armrests and legs. But this time it was joined by other thrones, ones that belonged to the current ruling villains in Auradon.
Ben sat on a tall black chair slightly behind Mal. It was less grand than the thrones but grand enough for the boyfriend of a queen. He looked over and saw Jafar on his golden throne and sister queens Drizella and Anastasia on ones made entirely of glass. Princess Hannah was sitting in for her father and the kingdom of Arendelle, her icy blue throne sitting next to a matching one for her fiancé. Ben was refusing to look at the wooden throne topped with antlers that belonged to Gaston (their last interaction had been unpleasant).
Maleficent and Hades stood on one of the many balconies looking into the throne room, their eyes full of fire. Though they were no longer the High Rulers, they still held great sway and interest in what they're daughter did as queen. The other balconies were filled with citizens of Auradon, all looking to the rulers and awaiting the Judging, Mal's first one in fact.
Ben had never felt so on display.
A gong rang out loudly and the doors at the back of the throne room (ornate black doors, one carved with a dragon, the other a flaming underworld) swung open. Grey stone golems led by Pain and Panic marched in, leading a dozen or so people in chains.
When they reached the end of the platform, the golems forced the criminals down onto their knees before the rulers. Mal didn't move and neither did Ben.
"Queen Mal." All eyes fell to Gothel as she stood, the crown on her head announcing to all she was the queen of Corona. She pointed to the first person in the lineup of prisoners. "This man attempted to organize a resistance to my reign. He forged his own weapons and gathered people in his home. He was using the image of the banished royal family as symbols of their resistance."
Ben felt chills crawl across his body. He knew this was a judgment of crimes, but he had expected theft or violence. But, of course, those were allowed in Auradon. And these people who had committed 'crimes' were the simple villagers of the kingdoms who hadn't tried to help the heroes or the villains in the old times. They were simply…the extra people in the tale. The ones Ben's parents had wanted to save in addition to reclaiming their crown.
Mal's pointed nails clicked against her throne. "What is your name?"
"Monty." His silver mustache trembled when he spoke. "I own a candy store on Main St."
"Fascinating," Mal drawled. "You do know that the royal family have been banished and stripped of their titles, yes?"
"Yes." A golem hit Monty with his staff. "Your Majesty."
Mal's eyes narrowed and flared green.
"Imprisonment. For ten years. Should you try to resist our great new way, you will be banished. To the Isle."
Polite clapping echoed across the throne room as a golem dragged Monty out a side door. Gothel thanked the queen and sat down once more.
And so it went. Each ruler presented their most dangerous criminal, often one resisting evil, and one by one Mal punished each with imprisonment or fines or a threat of banishment to the Isle. And the whole time, Ben kept very still.
Finally, the evil queen Grimhilde stood. She pointed to the last prisoner, a boy barely old enough to drive, let alone commit a crime.
"This boy was discovered with an old portrait of the ex-princess."
That was it. He had not done anything, not spoken about rebelling. He had simply possessed a painting.
Mal regarding him coldly, her eyes lethal.
Ben didn't realize he had moved until Mal looked at the hand he'd placed on her arm.
"Yes?" she breathed, barely able to be heard.
"He's just a boy," Ben whispered back. Mal's eyes narrowed in response. "He…he doesn't deserve this."
"We must extinguish the old ways," Mal replied, her voice now loud enough to echo off the ceiling. She turned back to the audience and the prisoner. "Evil is here and evil offers freedom that the good people did not. Freedom to choose and to aim higher than you ever thought possible. Freedom to fight for yourself and not be made to feel ashamed of it.
"This boy, by possessing this painting, is a seed of discontent. While a seed is small, it can grow with time. Therefore, we must prune him and show him the power he could seek instead.
"What is your name?"
"Ch-Charles, Your Majesty."
Mal nodded slowly. "You are young. And, as my partner reminds me, the youth have potential untapped. You are hereby enrolled in the Poison Apple Academy in your home kingdom for the full four years. We shall be watching your evil growth with great interest, Charles."
The golem dragged the boy away as he cried (whether from relief or sorrow, Ben could not tell).
With the judging over, the balconies emptied, and the rulers began to leave. They trickled out one by one, bowing and thanking Mal, until finally, it was just her and Ben.
He stepped forward, reaching for her. "You were ama-"
Mal whipped to face him, her eye glowing, her face a menacing snarl. Ben froze. "Do not. Ever. Undermine me. Again."
"I-I didn't!" Ben protested. "I just…he was a boy, Mal. He deserved…"
"What?" Mal demanded, stalking closer to Ben. "Mercy, kindness? That's not how we do things in Auradon, Ben."
"Believe me I know," Ben shot back, his own anger beginning to grow. "Were you really going to condemn a child to life in prison?"
"I would do what I thought best. I am queen, remember?"
"As if I could forget with your stupid crown and all the cameras following my every move!" For a moment, his eyes flashed a bright yellow.
Mal shook her head as she looked at him, her eyes dimming. She seemed…sad suddenly. "Are you even trying? Embracing evil? I know you haven't used those potions I gave you."
"Because I can do this myself! I can earn-"
"Earn what, Ben?" Mal exclaimed. "Me? You don't have to. We're a team."
She reached for his hand, but he pulled back. He was shaking, his hands running through his hair and making it a mess, his eyes wide and afraid.
"Ben?"
"Are we a team, Mal? Because every day I go to school or go to events, and you talk. And you lead us. And you are hailed as the greatest queen ever."
"Because I-"
"Because you make it happen, I know. You chose to be an evil queen. But I stand behind you and I wave. Or I smirk. Or I do a thousand other things to show how evil I am. But every time I have an idea or a thought or a suggestion, I'm wrong. I'm not…bad enough, am I?"
"Ben, you're-"
"No, save it." Ben looked her dead in the eye. "Face it, Mal. I'm just a trophy on your stage. The good boy your corrupted."
"I never said-"
"You didn't have to." Ben sighed, looking up to the soaring ceiling. Mal was too afraid to move. "I'm never going to get this right. Or, wrong, I guess. I'm never going to be that dark villain, that evil king. And I…I don't want to be just a show-dog you run around and show off."
Ben was finally calm as he looked at her, no emotion on his face. "You once said I get to choose."
"You do." Mal's voice was small, almost inaudible.
"Well, I don't choose this."
Then he did something that would cause his father's heart to stop. He chose the coward's way out and ran.