*Present day*
"Evie! Evie! Evie!" Mal called out as she just jumped up on the older girl's bed startling her. "Mal!" Evie cried out as she just pushed the young girl down making Mal giggle as she got back up.
"Come on!" Mal exclaimed as she grabbed onto Evie's arm and pulled at her to get her up. "Mal I'm trying to get my beauty sleep," Evie told the small girl who giggled again. "That's silly," Mal told Evie as she kept pulling at her to get her up.
"Ugh Mal, why don't you bother other kids your age," Evie whined out to the young girl. Evie had another rough day of princess training the night before and just wanted to sleep it off. Evie had messed up her makeup which had resulted in a harsh punishment. Something that Evie was still trying to forget.
Not that Evie would ever tell Mal that. Despite the fact that Mal was their "leader" she was still a little girl and Evie had been trying her best to make sure of that.
Mal wasn't purely innocent of course not. No one on the Isle was purely innocent however they did try their best to shield her as much as they could. Their childhoods had already been ruined, but they had a chance to keep Mal's. Evie knew that eventually they wouldn't be able to once Maleficent would become more involved, but for now Mal was basically their responsibility.
"Cause they're boring! And besides I'm the leader you have to do what I say member!" Mal called out as she stood up as tall as her little body could reach and tried to look as tough as she could. Evie groaned as she knew that technically what Mal said was true. Maleficent ruled the isle and despite Mal being just a little girl Evie Jay and Carlos belonged to her. It was their job to follow Mal around and basically be her mini servants.
It was something Evie couldn't stand. She didn't mind Mal. Mal was just a little girl looking for attention and love. Something that she didn't get at home. Maleficent didn't love her child, it was obvious. She barely even glanced at her. She was just waiting around for Mal to get older. Evie would be lying if she said she didn't feel for the small girl, but she did hate being bossed around especially by a 4 year old child.
Evie especially didn't like being stuck babysitting all the time since technically that's what they were doing. Mal would go around and act like she's in charge, but in reality they would follow her around and basically be her 24/7 babysitters.
It was exhausting but at least it gave them protection as everyone knew that they were on Maleficent's side and not to mess with them. As long as the three of them stayed with Mal letting her play leader they would be fine. "Fine let's just go," Evie told the small girl who jumped up excitedly as she grabbed her spray can.
"This is gonna be so much fun! I mean let's go show them who's boss!" Mal exclaimed excitedly as she ran off with her spray can. Evie sighed as she knew what that was signal for. It meant that Mal wanted them to sing her favorite song that they had made up together. Mal would call it their theme song and told them that it would warn people they were coming.
Evie knew the real reason Mal liked it though. It was fun for the young girl and was the only time that Mal could actually be a real kid. Singing and dancing was usually forbidden on the Isle as it showed weakness and softness. This was different though as it was their "warning" to others.
They had first made up the song when Mal was just a baby. It had been hard trying to get her to sleep especially when Mal had been starving and hurt due to Maleficent getting angry again. They had tried everything to calm her and get her to sleep, but there was only so much they could do with what they had.
It was then that Evie had gotten an idea as she started to hum and make up her own makeshift song. When the others had seen what she was doing they decided to join in and before they knew it Mal was sleeping the best she could in the circumstances and a new song was born. It became almost like a routine after that. Evie would sing the song to Mal every night and depending on how the boys felt they would either join in or just watch.
Over time as Mal grew she started to join in on singing it and now at 4 years old it was her favorite thing ever. Evie just sighed as she didn't really want to do this right now, but Mal had been forcing them to and she couldn't leave Mal alone.
That was a death sentence in itself. Everyone knew who Mal was and they knew who her mother was however that didn't stop people from wanting to go after the small girl. Mal was something they could use against Maleficent if they could get their hands on her.
It was part of the reason why the three of them "let" Mal boss them around. If Mal was ever seen alone without her crew by her side they most likely would never see her again. It was a harsh reality, but it was the truth. In fact it did almost happen before.
*A few weeks ago*
"Okay Mal just stay here we'll be back," Evie told the young purple haired girl who just stopped painting on the wall as she looked over. "Where you going?" Mal asked them as she tried her best to sound intimidating, but that was almost impossible with her squeaky baby voice. She didn't understand why she wasn't going with them.
Mal was their leader after all. They were supposed to follow her lead, not the other way around. "We have to help our parents out," Carlos told the younger girl whose eyes lit up at the mention of this. "Yay! Let's go!" Mal exclaimed excitedly as she always jumped at an opportunity to help her mom out and prove that she could be worthy of her love.
The other three just looked at each other awkwardly as they knew that what they said next was going to upset Mal. They hated upsetting her, but this was to protect her. "Mal you have to stay here," Jay told the young girl who shook her head.
"No, I wanna go too! I wanna help mommy!" Mal cried out. It had been a while since she had been able to help her mom out with anything. Last time she had tried she ended up failing again making her mommy very angry with her. Mal had ended up getting punished badly for this.
Mal wanted a redo to prove that she could do it. She had been practicing her evil ways with her dragon and she finally felt ready to try again. "No Mal just stay here," Evie responded back as she didn't want Mal going back to Maleficent. Maleficent was not a mother and never would be.
The last thing Evie wanted was to have to play doctor again while stitching up or bandaging another injury on the small girl. I'm coming with you!" Mal demanded having enough of being told no. She was supposed to be the one in charge.
"You are staying here until we get back. Have I made myself clear," Evie responded back in her stern voice. Evie didn't use that voice often, especially when it came to Mal. Most of the time Evie was fine with letting Mal play leader but there were certain times where Evie couldn't do that.
This was definitely one of those times. Evie didn't play when it came to safety. Mal may think that she's tough and fearless but in reality she was still a baby practically. Mal just crossed her arms as she looked over at Evie. "But I wanna prove to mommy that I can be ebil like her! I been practicing," Mal told Evie, who just sighed as she decided to give Mal a chance here.
"Okay then prove it to me," Evie told Mal as she didn't feel right with sending Mal off to get abused again. "Otay!" Mal called out excitedly as she grabbed her dragon and set her dragon out in front of her. "You've been a bad dragon! You hewped that person! You're opposed to be bad!" Mal told her dragon toy as she tried her best to sound scary and mean like she had watched her mommy do.
Evie just held back a laugh as she watched Mal try to intimidate her dragon toy. She knew that Mal was trying, but it was hard to take her seriously when she looked and sounded the way she does. "What's so funny?" Mal asked Evie and the others who were also trying to hold back their laughs.
"Nothing," Carlos just replied back, this seeming to have satisfied Mal who nodded. "That's what I thought!" Mal called out, still trying to seem intimidating, but failing yet again. The young girl then turned back to her dragon as she continued to yell at the toy. "You need be punished!" Mal exclaimed as she threw the dragon.
Mal immediately began to lose her intimidating nature though as she realized what she had just done. "Oh no I sowy! Pwease forgive me!" Mal cried out as she quickly ran and picked the toy up hugging it close. "And you just failed," Jay jokingly told Mal who just quickly stopped hugging the dragon as she threw her again. "No I no fail!" Mal quickly told Jay.
"Too late kid you failed. You're staying here," Jay told Mal, just upsetting her more as she really wanted to prove to her mommy that she can be proud of her. "I am your leader! You have to do what I say!" Mal demanded as she began to get frustrated and cranky. She was supposed to be the one that told them all what to do, not them controlling her.
"Okay I think someone needs to take a nap," Evie somewhat jokingly sang out, just angering the young girl more. "I do not need a nap! And I am not staying here! I'm going too!" Mal cried out. She didn't get why they weren't listening to her.
"You will do no such thing. You will stay here until we get back. Have I made myself clear," Evie told Mal in her stern voice again while giving her a look that Mal knew meant she wasn't kidding.
"But I wanna go too! How come I can't go too!" Mal whined as she didn't like being left alone. She would never admit that to anyone because that was weakness, but it was scary without the others. Evie just sighed as she sat down by the small girl. "Mal we already told you. Now just stay here and we'll be back," Evie told Mal as she just left along with Jay and Carlos.
As soon as the others had left Mal just got up as she decided that she would just go alone. She didn't need her crew. She was going to prove to them and her mom that she could do this. Mal just hugged her dragon after apologizing again then placed the dragon back in its hiding place and made her way out the door.
Mal smirked as she quickly made her way over to Uma's territory. Mal always had a fun time messing with the pirates. Just as Mal was about to go in to mess with Uma and her pirate crew, someone grabbed her. It had only taken about 5 minutes before the other isle residents had figured out that Mal was alone without her crew.
This finally giving them an opportunity to strike. Without Evie, Jay, and Carlos to protect her Mal was vulnerable and weak. They knew this even if Mal herself didn't. "Let me go!" Mal cried out as she tried her best to get away from the older boy that had grabbed her.
"No can do. I've been waiting for years to do this," the man told the small girl as he just grabbed her by her shirt and started to lift her up. Mal quickly began to panic as she continued to squirm and kick trying to get away from the man's grip. This just made him laugh more as he tightened his grip.
"You're going to make me a lot of money," the man told Mal who just spit at him. This caused him to drop her as she hit the ground hard. Mal held back her tears as she quickly got up and tried to run, but it was no use now that she was hurt.
"Oh you're gonna pay for that you little brat!" The villain exclaimed as he just grabbed her again. Mal felt her heart start to race as she tried her best to not show fear. Mal was supposed to be strong and brave. "Let me go! You'll be sorry!" Mal cried as she tried her best to sound intimidating and confident despite the fear she was feeling right now.
"Oh please, you think I'm scared of some whiny little baby," the older boy sneered. "Put her down now," Mal heard as she looked over to see that Uma was now there with her crew having heard the noise. "Go away, Uma she's mine. I found her first," the boy told Uma who just got more angry as she approached him with her sword.
"I said put her down!" Uma threatened as she pointed her sword at him. "Not happening! Do you know how much money this thing could be worth? She's the spawn of Maleficent. I found her first, she's mine," the villain replied. "Put her down now, don't make me get Harry and his hook!" Uma threatened again as she grazed the boy with her sword.
This caused him to drop the small girl again as he tried to stop the bleeding. "That was a warning! Next time I won't be so nice," Uma told the boy who just sneered before running off. Uma laughed as she watched him leave before going over to Mal and helping her up.
"What the hell were you thinking! And where's Evie, Jay, and Carlos," Uma exclaimed as she looked over at the little girl. They may have their own little rivalry, but at the end of the day Uma still cared about them. The rivalry was between them and them only.
Mal just tried her best to hold back her tears as she didn't want to show weakness. "I wanted to prove to mommy that I can be like her," Mal told Uma as some tears began to fall down despite her best efforts to stop them. Uma just sighed as she helped Mal into the Fish and Chips shop.
"Where's your crew?" Uma asked Mal as she got her some food to eat seeing that Mal could use it. Mal just looked down. This action telling Uma everything she needed to know. "They left you alone didn't they," Uma told Mal as she began to get upset again. Everyone knew that you weren't supposed to leave your crew behind. Especially not your youngest member.
Children were innocent and weak. They were the main targets on the Isle. Especially very young ones. Everyone knew this including Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Yet they still left Mal all alone.
"No, I went off by myself! I don't need them," Mal told Uma as she tried her best to sound convincing. She didn't want Uma to know that her crew had been the ones to boss her around and leave her alone. Uma would think she wasn't a strong enough leader if she knew that.
Uma decided it was best not to argue with Mal as she just looked over at Harry and Gil. "Go find them and tell them that we have something that belongs to them," Uma ordered to the two boys who just nodded as they went off to find Evie, Jay, and Carlos.
It didn't take long before the three of them came barging in as they just ran over to the small girl. "What did you do to her!" Evie exclaimed as she just hugged Mal close to her and glared over at Uma who rolled her eyes. "I saved her from being sold. Maybe try keeping an eye on her better. Clearly you don't have what it takes," Uma told Evie, Jay, and Carlos.
"Excuse me," Evie asked Uma as she couldn't believe that Uma would say that. They had been looking after Mal since the day she was born. "You heard me. You left her alone. Everyone knows you don't let your crew be alone," Uma told Evie who shook her head and left with Mal as she was done with this conversation. Uma just didn't understand and she never would.
*Present day*
As much as Evie hated to admit it Uma was technically right that day. It had only taken about 5 minutes before people had realized Mal was alone and started to go after her. Some wanting to kidnap her for ransom and others wanting to kill her as revenge against Maleficent. Uma had managed to save her and get her back to them, but it was definitely a close call and an experience Evie didn't want to live through again.
Evie just looked over when she saw the boys as she just gave them their secret signal which meant that Mal wanted to do their Rotten To The Core Isle walk through again.
The three of them had a lot of secret signals on the Isle; it was their way to keep themselves and Mal safe. They had secret signals with Mal as well, but it wasn't the same. "Seriously?" Jay asked Evie as he was just planning to just steal some stuff for his dad and then chill in the hideout.
"She already has the spray can," Evie told the two of them who just sighed and nodded before getting up and going to their places.
*Back in Auradon*
While the Isle kids were having their walk through on the Isle back in Auradon the young prince was getting fitted for his coronation coming up. Ben couldn't help but keep staring at the Isle. He didn't understand how it was fair. There's kids on the Isle just like him. He knew that they didn't deserve that life.
Ben could feel his nerves pick up as he saw his parents enter the room. He knew that what he said next wasn't going to please his parents and was probably going to make them angry, but he knew that he had to do this. He was going to be king and as king he wanted to bring changes and fix the mistakes that his parents had made.
Ben zoned out a little bit as he watched his parents fawn over the idea of him being king soon. It wasn't anything new; they had this conversation all the time. Ben took a deep breath as he looked over at them once they had seemed to be moving on in the conversation.
He knew that this was going to be bad, but if he didn't mention it now he didn't think he ever would. This had been something he had been thinking about for years now. "Mom dad I've chosen my first official proclamation," Ben began as he tried his best to sound confident despite how terrified he was right now.
He watched as his parents looked over at him excitedly. He knew that what he said next was about to ruin that, but he didn't care it was his choice and he was sick of living in their shadow.
"I've decided that the children on the Isle of the Lost be given a chance to live here in Auradon. Every time I look out to the Island I feel like they've been abandoned," Ben told his parents as he tried his best to get them to see things from his side.
His father definitely didn't seem to understand though as he looked at him like he was insane. "The children of our sworn enemies living among us," Beast exclaimed as he couldn't believe what his son was saying right now. Ben just slowly nodded as he refused to give up on this idea.
"We start out with a few at first. The ones that need our help the most. I've already chosen them," Ben told his parents and smiled when he saw that his mom seemed to be on board with the idea as she mentioned how she had given him a second chance. Beast knowing that she was right, just looked down and stayed silent. "Who are their parents?" Belle asked as she was curious as to who Ben wanted to bring over.
Ben just took another deep breath before continuing. "Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Evil Queen, and um Maleficent," Ben began but didn't get to finish as everyone began to freak out at the mention of Maleficent. "Maleficent! She's the worst villain in the land!" Beast roared out as he couldn't believe Ben had just said that.
"I didn't know Maleficent even had a child," Belle joined in as she had gone through the files before and never once had she seen anything on Maleficent's child. She had assumed that Maleficent just didn't have one. She had honestly secretly hoped that Maleficent didn't have a child knowing the person she is.
Ben just slowly nodded as he looked at his mom first. "There's not much about her but she does exist. And dad, just hear me out here," Ben began but his father was having none of it as he just got more angry.
"I won't hear of it! They are guilty of unspeakable crimes!" Beast cried out as he felt his rage start to build up again at the idea of those horrible villains coming in and ruining everything he had built. "Dad, their children are innocent. Don't you think they deserve a chance at a normal life," Ben told his father as he just looked over at him with his most innocent face and Belle joined in as well.
Beast just sighed as he knew he was most likely going to regret this, but Ben did have a point. "I suppose the children are innocent," Beast told them as he just walked off with Belle joining him. Ben watched as they walked away as he just smiled and went off to write his first official proclamation now that he finally had the approval.
