In the Beast Castle, Prince (soon to be King) Ben was getting measured for his coronation suit. He was staring out the window at the Isle of the Lost again, completely and utterly oblivious to the tailor.
"Sleeve, head,…aha." The tailor muttered to himself.
The door opened and Ben's parents, none other than the King and Queen, entered.
"How is it that you're going to be crowned King next month?" his father asked. "You're just a baby!"
'Just like Alexander.' He thought sad.
"He's turning sixteen, dear." Belle reminded him with a smile.
"Hey, Pops." Ben said, but his greeting went unnoticed.
"Sixteen?" the Adam repeated. "That's far too young to become king. I didn't make a good decision until I was at least 42."
His wife shot him a look. "Uh, you decided to marry me at 28."
"Well it was either you or the teapot." He said, smiling at her and winking at Ben. He chuckled. "Kidding."
"Mom, Dad." Ben said, a little unsure how to begin. "I've chosen my first official proclamation."
His parents looked at each other, impressed.
Ben took a deep breath.
Too late to turn back now…
"I have decided that the children of the Isle of the Lost should be given a chance… to live here in Auradon."
His parents stared in shock. Queen Belle made a soft squeaking sound as she dropped the coat she was holding.
Ben knew he had to keep talking. He had to explain himself or they'd never agree.
He had to make this work. His little brother never had this chance, but maybe Ben could give it to others. They were innocents.
Pointing out the window, to the Island, he continued, more determinate.
"Every time I look at the Island, I feel like they've been abandoned!"
Adam glanced out the window, frowning.
"The children of our sworn enemies, living among us?!"
Ben nodded. "We start with a few at first. Just the ones who really needed our help." He said, looking at his mother, who seemed to understand. "I've already chosen them."
His father looked skeptical. "Have you?"
Belle put her hand on his arm. "I gave you a second chance." She reminded him. Her husband's demeanor softened. She turned to Ben. "Who are they're parents?"
Ben slowly counted. "Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Mother Gothel, Evil Queen…. And Maleficent."
The tailor yelped and he and the rest of the staff bowed and scattered away.
"Maleficent?!" King Beast roared. "She's the worst villain in the land!"
"Dad, just hear me out-"
"I won't hear of it!" his father declared. "They are guilty of unspeakable crimes!"
"No, Dad, the children are innocent!" Ben protested. "Don't you think they deserve a shot at a normal life?"
'One that Alex didn't have?'
"Dad?"
Queen Belle looked at her husband expectantly.
Adam looked between his wife and son. "I suppose… the children are innocent."
Ben smiled victorious.
Belle looked at her son. "Well done."
Then she and the King walked out of the room and Ben turned to look at the tiny Island, shifting his ring on his finger and hoping he made the right choice.
On The Isle of the Lost
A young girl with purple hair was spray painting the silhouette of the evilest villain, Maleficent, with the words LONG LIVE ƎVIL in the center. Turning around and jumping down from her perch, Mal, the daughter of the evil fairy, strut forward between two people, bumping shoulders with one of them.
"They say I'm trouble.
They say I'm bad.
They say I'm evil,
That makes me glad."
A boy appeared over the top off a building, wearing a red beanie, fingerless gloves and a leather vest. Jay, son of Jafar.
"A dirty no good,
Down to the bone.
Your worst nightmare,
Can't take me home."
A short boy, around nine years old, with a dark blue beanie and grey forearm guards under his camouflage hoodie, appeared on top of one of the tallest buildings. He picked a rock and threw it at a man, making him drop all the boxes he was carrying onto the ground. The man started yelling at him, but he just laughed.
"So I'm a rebel,
So I'm a brat.
Seriously?
You're one to talk?!"
Another young girl, this one with long, beautiful blue hair, stepped onto a table where many people were eating, like it was a podium.
"So, I got some mischief,
In my blood.
Can you blame me?
I never got no love."
She stepped through the railing, entrancing one of the diners with her charms.
Nearby, a boy with white hair, dressed in red, white and black, swiped a bandana from a nearby man and an apple from a young girl.
"They think I'm callous,
A low-life hood.
I feel so useless,
MISUNDERSTOOD!"
The two girls met up in an alley, while the oldest and the youngest boy hopped off from the buildings, Alex jumping from impossible highs, and Carlos hopping from bed to bed in some warehouse, waking the sleeping people.
Mal and Evie:
"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,
Who's the baddest of them all?
Welcome to my
Wicked World
Wicked World."
The Rotten five met up at a chain-link gate, and ran through the crowd of people, pushing everybody in their way.
"I'm rotten to the core, core,
Rotten to the core.
I'm rotten to the core, core,
Who could ask for more?
I'm nothing like the kid next door.
I'm rotten to the core, core.
I'm rotten to the…
I'm rotten to the core.
Mal ran up sliding besides a fortune teller who gave her an unimpressed look, a can of purple spray in her hand.
"Call me a schemer,
Call me a freak.
How can you say that?!
I'm just… unique."
She quickly painted an M on a plastic curtain before pulling it back to reveal a man in a bathtub, looking scared out of his mind.
In another warehouse, Jay flipped in front of a table, giving its occupants a smirk.
"What me a traitor?
Ain't got your back?
Are we not friends?
What's up with that?"
He finished, before stealing the kettle and jumping over the table, grinning.
Evie ran though a rack of scarves, catching the attention of the sailsman.
"So I'm a misfit.
So I'm a flirt.
I broke your heart?
I made it hurt?"
She tugged on his scarf, sending him on the ground as he disappeared again.
Alex hid behind a group of teens then growled loudly, making them yell and run away. He got out of his hidings spot laughing.
"They call me scary,
And quick to fight.
It's not my fault,
I've never see no light."
He continued on walking as people scattered away.
Carlos ran though the market, knocking over various things.
"The past is past,
Forgive, forget.
The truth is…
YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!"
Evie joined mat at a balcony to look at the people below.
Carlos grabbed the end of a rope attached to the metal arm of a machinery Alex was standing on, pulling it as Jay hung from the arm.
"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,
Who's the baddest of them all?
Welcome to my
Wicked World
Wicked World."
Alex and Jay jumped down and all of them headed out into the town square.
"I'm rotten to the core, core,
Rotten to the core.
I'm rotten to the core, core,
Who could ask for more?
I'm nothing like the kid next door.
I'm rotten to the core, core.
I'm rotten to the…
I'm rotten to the core.
Mal blew her bangs out of her face then proceeded to grab the lollipop from a child in a wagon. Her friends and the spectator laughed as she turned towards them, holding up her prize.
Alex rolled her eyes, but smiled in amusement nonetheless. He was on Mal's side. He had to remember that.
Soon however, the group of spectators ran away screaming, leaving the five teens in confusion until they turned around to see the two guards, scowling at them.
Mal tried for a smirk, but her friends knew better.
"Hi, Mom." Mal greeted as her mother pushed passed the two guards.
"Stealing candy Mal? I'm so disappointed." Maleficent stated, her lips forming a mock frown.
"It was from a baby." Mal added and Alex could see the hopeful spark in her eyes. Probably thinking she would finally gain her mother's respect.
Alex didn't understand why his friends always tried so hard to please their parents, but he still felt bad for them.
And then he felt angry at himself for feeling bad.
There's no me in empathy, right? No vk should feel bad about anything. So why was he so different?!
"Ah, that's my nasty little girl!" Maleficent exclaimed with a hiss.
Alex sighed. He knew she would find a way to criticize Mal.
His thoughts were confirmed as Maleficent snatched the lollipop then proceed to spat on it and hand in to the guard.
"Give it back to the dreadful creature."
"Mom…"
"It's the deets, Mal, that make the difference between mean and truly evil!"
Alex rolled his eyes, but fortunately for him, he didn't chose to comment.
"When I was your age, I was-"
"Cursing entire kingdoms." Mal interrupted. The all have heard that speech one too many times.
Maleficent narrowed her eyes.
"You. Walk with me. See, I'm just trying to teach you the thing that really counts… how to be me…"
Alex sighed. This was getting ridiculous.
"I know that. And I'll do better." Mal promised.
"Oh! There's news! I buried the lede. You five have been chosen to go to a different school…"
Huh?
"In Auradon."
WHAT?!
"What?!"
Evie, Jay and Carlos tried to make a run for it, but the guards stopped them. Alex was so surprised, he backed right into a guard's chest.
He started growling and trashing, but he was fighting someone experienced that was three times his size.
"What?! I'm not going to some boarding school filled to the prim with prissy pink princesses!"
"And perfect princes… Ugh!"
"Yeah. And I don't do 'uniforms'. Unless it's leather. You feel me?"
"I read somewhere that they allow dogs on Auradon. Mom say's they're rabid pack animals who eat boys who don't behave…"
"WOOF!" Jay barked.
Alex didn't know what to think of dogs. The only dogs he met were Gaston's hunting dogs, which the Legume twins often assimilate on him.
He didn't like those dogs, but this was The Isle of the Lost, here were the worst of the worst (including the animals). Plus he knew better than to trust what anyone but his friends told him.
His mother was crazy, Cruella even more so. Maybe dogs were good…
He snapped out of his thoughts when Mal continued to protest.
"Yeah, Mom, we're not going!"
"Oh, you're thinking small, pumpkin. It's all about world domination! Knuckleheads! ~Mal…."
"You will go. You will find the Fairy Godmother and you will bring me back her magic wand."
She cannot be serious…
"Easy peasy!"
Yes she is.
"What's in it for us?" asked Mal, arms crossed in front of the group, taking charge like always.
"Matching thrones, hers-and-hers crowns." Stated Maleficent with a wave of hand.
"Uh… I think she means us." Alex said pointing at their group while trying to ignore his mother and her burning glare that followed him from across the room.
She catched him out of the Tower again. He was in BIG trouble.
"Do you enjoy watching the innocent suffer?"
'No.' Alex thought.
"Well, yeah." Said Mal. "Who doesn't?"
"Well, then get me the wand and you and I can see all that and so much more. And with that wand and my scepter, I will be able to bend both good and evil to my will!"
"Our will." The Evil Queen corrected.
Alex snorted quietly. Like Maleficent would care.
Everybody else looked at her expectantly.
"Our will, our will." Maleficent promised with a wave of her hand.
She snapped her fingers in Mal's face.
"And if you refuse, you're grounded for the rest of your life, missy."
"Wha- Mom!"
Both of their eyes flashed green and the staring contest started. Alex looked away. Not because he was intimidated, but because he didn't like seeing Mal lose against her mother.
"Fine. Whatever." Mal grumped.
"I win." Maleficent happily announced.
"Evie." Evil Queen called. "My little evil-ette in training, you just find yourself a prince with a big castle and a mother-in-law wing."
"And lots and lots of mirrors!" Evie continued excited.
"No laughing! Wrinkles!"
"Well, they're not taking my Carlos away from me. I'd miss him way too much!" Cruella suddenly announced petting her son's head like a puppy.
"Really, Mom?" Carlos asked, perking up hopeful.
Alex started counting in his head.
3…..2…..1…..
"Yes. Who would touch up my roots, fluff my fur and scrape the bunions off my feet?"
"Oh."
Alex didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation, because the moment his mother rolled her eyes at Cruella, he fled out the window.
Going to Auradon… This was HUGE. He had to tell Dizzy!"
He rushed into 'Curl up and Dye', nearly breaking the door and scaring the hell out of his best friend.
"Don't do that again!" She yelled, holding on her broom.
"WearegoingtoAuradon!" he gasped.
"What?"
"We-We are going …. To…Auradon!"
"What?"
"Some sort of degree. The five of us have been chosen to go to Auradon! Isn't that awesome?!"
Both of them always dreamed about going there. To the land of Happy-Ever-After's.
Alex didn't like the princes and princesses, but he always hated the dark and smelly Island. And he loves adventure and exploring. Plus, Auradon was way bigger than Isle, which means he got more hiding places from mother – Not that it matters, since she'll stay here while he'll be there. (Score!)
"Five?"
"Mal, Jay, Evie, Carlos and us."
"That's six."
Alex frowned. He didn't understand what was so important.
"Well it's us five and you, but I'm sure we can all squish in the car…"
"Alex, I'm not welcomed in Auradon."
"Who cares?"
"I do. I don't wanna go in there unannounced. I'm staying here." Dizzy said firmly.
Alex looked at her. She was serious, which didn't happen often. Dizzy always agreed with him.
"Okay, then." He said. "What should we do now, then?"
She starred.
"'We?'"
He frowned. "You're not actually expecting me to go to La-la-land without you, right? They're going to kill me with glitter and fairy dust!"
She cracked a sad smile.
"You are going and you are going without me."
"But-"
"You'll be fine."
"But I don't wanna-"
"How about we compromised?" she asked and Alex starred. "If I don't get an invitation before your birthday, you can personally come and get me."
"But that's six months away!" he yelled.
How could he leave her here? The moment word would spread out that all five of them are gone, the other gangs would come to bully her.
"I'm not gonna leave you like this!" he stated.
"I promise I'm going to be fine as long as you promise not to forget about me." She said.
"How could I ever forget about you?"
Dizzy had been there for him since forever.
"Do we have a deal?" she asked, but her expression clearly stated she wasn't going to take no for an answer.
Alex hesitated. He wanted to say no so so badly, but he never once saw her like this. So firm. So determinate.
"I'll be back before the six months are up."
She smiled and hugged him.
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too, Diz."
Please remember that I am always opened to suggestions.
I look forward to your reviews.
Frostbite out