et's get one thing straight. This is not a love story.
Well, not that kind of love at any rate.
This is the story of a wicked fairy, a wily thief, a beautiful princess, a smart little boy and a handsome prince who lived far far away.
Wait, who writes this stuff?
This story isn't about them, not really. They're in it, but it isn't their story. Or, not just theirs at least. Yes, this is the story of a fairy, a thief, a princess, a smart boy and a prince, but it's also the story of a gang of pirates (multiple gangs really) of (not so) long lost twins, siblings banding together against parents and the realization that the only person who defines you, is you.
This is not a love story. There's a hell of a lot more to it than that.
But, before we get there, we'd better backtrack a bit.
Once Upon A Time- nope. Can't tell it like that.
About twenty years ago—or so I'm told—Belle married her Beast in front of all of their closest personal friends. Six thousand of them to be precise. (the cake must have been massive). And, instead of a honeymoon, Beast (I'm sure he has an actual name, but don't tell me. I don't want to use it) united all of the kingdoms and got himself elected as king of the United States of Auradon (Don't ask me how. I have no idea). Then, he rounded up all the villains and their sidekicks and everybody who'd ever done even the slightest little thing wrong—pretty much everybody interesting—and tossed them all onto the Isle of the Lost. And then erected a magical barrier to keep them there.
I'm told that he hoped these people would see the error of their ways and become good. I want to know what he was on, and where can I get some cuz that must be one hell of a drug. I know people from Auradon are stupid with no survival instincts at all (who willingly wears that much bright pink?) but I didn't think they were that stupid. "Well, villains love their kids, right?" Wrong. Most villain kids got born for one of two reasons. A) there's no birth control on the Isle or B) they wanted a slave to boss around. People straight up trade their kids to get what they want and—to cap it all off—you can't just run away cuz Scar and his pride of lions roam the streets at night and if they don't get you, something else will. If you're lucky, someone else takes pity on you and gives you safety. Yeah, you're basically a slave, the exact same situation you ran away from, but they probably won't be as mean as your parent(s) and at least you're alive.
The first lesson every single kid on the Isle learns, is nobody cares. Nobody cares about you, nobody cares about what happens to you, and people will use you to get what they want. You either get tough, or you get dead.
That all changed a year ago. Nineteen years after the barrier went up, it got broken.
Carlos De Vil put a hole in the barrier. It was less than a minute before it closed, but that was enough. Our parents regained their power and tore the barrier down. Then, they ran. Leaving their kids behind.
Auradon stopped being peaceful. Life on the Isle continued as it always had. With our parents gone, kids filled the gaps left behind. Then, the crown prince came to us for help.
That's not where our story starts though.
Our story starts four years before the barrier breaks. Four years before the world gets turned upside down.
Keep track of that, four years to go.