Chapter Thirty Six
A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs when they come out to play. Everything else belongs to either Disney or the Greek Myths.
smh, guys can you believe we're 23 reviews away from one thousand? I think we're going to do it! We're going to beat Watch and Learn in terms of reviews! :D Thank you guys so much for your support here!
darkpegasuzz: Thank you so much! So glad you liked the chapter!
Marcus Emrys: I think it's more than possible that it could work.
InuKagLove22: Oh I'm so glad you like it!
DS Rider: To avoid spoilers I won't take that bet!
Urmimala Hazra: Oh I'm so glad you liked the chapter! And yeah Leah just needs to shut up doesn't she? :D
JaclynnM: You're right—Benji and Malinda are from the Choosing Family series! It's definitely going to get interesting! :D
Tracie Adams: I'm glad you liked the chapter!
LOST MUSES: Hey Avengers Endgame time travel confused me too so don't feel bad there! As for Hades, I'm going to go with a lot of information at one time.
Katt Kiki: I'm so glad!
SnowWhite45: I know right! So cute—and of course Leah had to ruin the moment!
quil . theimperial: I'm more than happy to clarify when asked! :D And yeah there're spoilers for CH but I couldn't resist bringing in the future Ben and Mal since now they're reading the future.
Anonymous Reader: Sure! So Ben, Mal, Uma, Harry, Emir, Akiho, Chad, Audrey, Elle, Emma, Rowyn are sixteen. Malinda and Ben are twenty three, Hadie is ten, Neal, Phillip Jr,, Evan and Melody are fourteen, Jay and Rachel are seventeen, Audie is seventeen/eighteen (haven't decided yet), and the adults are well adults. I feel like I've forgotten a lot though so if I have, let me know! Also…yep, it's true!
danifan3000: All in good time my friend, all in good time! And I agree with everything you said!
Desceduary: I now want to go back and re-watch Bobshaeux's review of Descendants 3! I loved your oneshot! :D
Heroesweardogtags209: Thank you so much!
HufflepuffInDaHealingCoven: Oh I love that! As for your question about Malinda and Benji, yeah you could say they come from the end of CH….or the beginning of a potential sequel…
61394: Yeah he must be growing up indeed! And that is quite a lovely scene, I'm not going to lie! :D
AmethystDragon14: Yay! Hey you know, it was a lot of information dumped on everyone at once! Maybe Queen Bat and Princess Brat were in shock? And yep, Ben matters!
AliceCullen3: Oh I'm so glad!
Tracie: Malinda and Beni are 23!
billyandkimfan1994: I'd definitely be shocked if I was Malinda!
jessaminego5134: I'm so glad you liked the chapter! And yep, I'd definitely advise reading Choosing Love and Home, since Malinda and Benji come from CH, it might answer your question there :D
Lord of the A.U. Fanfiction: You're definitely right there!
twilightgirl587: Yes, there is a potential sequel for CH in the works! I just need to finish Choosing Home first.
EllaBSinging: I'm so glad! And yes, there should be a chapter on the Ben interrogation as you called it! :D
smc-smfan1: Glad you enjoyed the chapter! Malinda and Benji are 23.
Miststormdrift: Malinda and Benji are from CF! :D
AthenaArtemis25: I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter! :D
Lucky: Oh thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I live in the US!
CrystalKarouri: Yep! Oh man that'd be funny if Malinda ended up having twins! *looks around to avoid everyone's eyes*
Roxas Itsuka: So glad you enjoyed the chapter! And yeah, Leah's going to freak at that!
lilyflower101: They really did!
Dance love 2007: Thank you so much!
Agentwalkoff: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I think I can make it so that Claudine shows up!
jessjosh1989: Ask and you'll receive! :D
Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think! :D
Abby reached over to the pile of scrolls to grab one but before she could unfurl it, Chip sprung to his feet.
"I'm sorry but I just realized something! Ben's wife isn't Audrey!"
Lucas shook his head. "No matter the timeline, you never change. Honestly if you hadn't gotten to be friends with Audie here, I think you'd probably react the same way."
"I'm sorry…what?"
Benji shook his head fondly. "There it is. I wondered how long it would sink in for those three."
"But Chip's the only one…and now Emir and Akiho are on their feet too," Malinda chuckled. "Seriously? I know for a fact one of you is an adult."
Ben shook his head and sighed. "Guys, come on. Audrey's in the room, tone it down will you?"
Jasmine and Kristoff shook their heads. "Emir, Akiho, sit down."
"Yes mom."
"Got it dad."
Emir, Chip, and Akiho sat down, all the while chanting 'Ben's free from Audrey' under their breath.
Abby held up a finger to indicate she needed a minute, she'd been laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
"What's the date of your wedding or even your engagement? It must go on my calendar!" Chip asked Malinda.
"Maybe it's in the scrolls," Malinda said with a small chuckle.
"You mean you guys didn't get engaged on VK Day?" Audie asked.
Malinda shrugged. "I don't know what date that is."
"Ben's free from Audrey…Ben's free from the Banshee…"
"Guys!" Ben barked. He knew they were happy for his future break up but Audrey was still in the room and didn't deserve that.
Emir, Akiho, and Chip grew silent at that—not wanting to risk Ben going Beast on them.
"I'll read now," Abby said, smothering the last few remaining chuckles.
Mal and Jay made their way to the limo, which oddly enough was parked near Maleficent's castle.
"Makes sense though," Rowyn said. "If they're going to pick up who they think is Maleficent's daughter, they'd want to be parked near Maleficent's castle."
Mal wasn't going to lie, it was more than a little nerve wracking being this close to the Dragon without knowing exactly what her plan was. Because of course she'd have a plan or a scheme.
"Aren't schemes and plans the same thing?" Dizzy asked.
Jay put a hand on Mal's shoulder, causing the smaller purple haired girl to give him a small smile.
"Hey, it might be okay," Jay whispered and Mal rolled her eyes.
"And clearly I was right," Jay said, gesturing to Malinda and Benji.
Malinda chuckled. "Yes, yes, take a bow Jay."
"Jay, I'm honestly giving us forty eight hours before Boreadon kicks us back to the Isle," she muttered.
"Oh man was I wrong there," Malinda chuckled. "I think it's been what? Seven years?"
"Seven years?!" Leah exclaimed.
"Oh my, is there an echo i here?" Malinda asked, glaring daggers at Leah.
"And I swear, if they make me room with Blueberry…"
"Do they?" Mal asked, looking at Malinda.
"Gods I forgot how much I hated Evie when I was younger," Malinda shook her head.
"You don't know that they will," Jay told her. "But if they do, you can always hang out in my room during the day."
"It was a logical guess though," Benji said. "School policy is that boys and girls can't room together and since I brought over two boys and two girls…"
"But I wanted to room AKs and VKs," Ben said with a sigh. "I thought it would help to eliminate some of the divide between the two worlds."
Malinda looked over at him. "Then who's the reason for the change? That's a great idea."
"Oh dear," Fairy Godmother sighed. "That was me. I thought it might be more of a comfort for you kids if you were starting off with someone from home as a roommate."
"And I can't even fault her for that," Mal muttered before speaking up. "So…who were we going to get as roommates?"
Ben chuckled. "So Jay was going to be paired up with Li, one of our Tourney teammates. Carlos was going to be paired with Neal, Evie was going to be paired with Emma, and Mal you were going to be paired with either Lonnie or Kitty. I was waiting to hear back to see if they were okay with it when Fairy Godmother brought up the change."
"And maybe even at night," Mal muttered.
Ben hoped the frown that was on his face wasn't obvious. Mal hanging around Jay's bedroom at night had a whole different meaning.
Benji chuckled and leaned over to mutter in Ben's ear. "So…you think she's dating Jay?"
"What?! No! I mean…how obvious is it?" Ben asked with a small sigh.
Benji shook his head. "Only to me and that's just because I am you. Trust me though. You're wrong."
"Of course," Jay nodded. "I doubt DeVil would complain anyway, considering the protection he gets from us. It would be just like the clubhouse back when you were five, only minus Uma and Harry."
"You know Jay's pretty much assuming he'd be rooming with Carlos there," Kitty pointed out.
"Yeah well it's a safe assumption," Jay said with a shrug. "I didn't really think you all would want to room with a VK after all."
Mal nodded but she couldn't help but sigh as she looked once more around the Isle. She hated to sound mushy but she was really going to miss her home.
Mal shrugged. "It may be a hellscape piece of rock but I lived there for sixteen years."
"I'm with you," Jay said softly as to not be overheard.
"Thanks Jay. And I'm with you," Mal told him, matching his tone as they fought through the crowd of lower classed villains gathered by the limo.
Ben couldn't help the small frown that appeared as he heard that. Yes he knew that the older version of him said that Jay and Mal weren't dating but that didn't mean that they weren't dating at that part in the scroll.
"Seriously Ben?" Akiho asked, whacking him lightly on the shoulder. "You do see that there's an older version of you with a wedding ring sitting next to a pregnant Mal right? Nothing's going on with Jay and Mal."
"Let's show Boreadon who's boss," Jay said with a smirk.
"Gladly," Mal said, a wicked grin growing on her face.
"See Ben?! They're just planning to make trouble and you're find with them coming over?!"
"Okay so I did not miss the ear piercing shrieks," Malinda muttered, glaring at Audrey.
The grin slipped when she happened to look up to see Maleficent looking back at her from the balcony. The Dragon didn't do anything, just looked at her as if sizing her up.
"Keep away from her Maleficent," Hades growled.
"Dad, she didn't do anything," Mal said, shaking her head.
Mal forced herself to look away and piled into the limo, keeping her distance from Evie.
"What else is new?" CJ asked, shaking her head.
Carlos gave a shy wave; while he was under the crew's protection and therefore couldn't be touched by the other gangs of VKs on the Isle, he wasn't officially part of the the crew. Of course Mal had a feeling he didn't mind; Gil was under that same umbrella and both boys were fairly close. They were both creative at least—Carlos with technology and Gil with crafts. It was the youngest Gaston boy who got Ursula's necklace put back together after all.
Carlos nodded. "Yeah Gil's really good at craft stuff. Whenever Mal or Uma ask for something done, he's the one usually asked. I partnered with him when Mal asked me to design the flair guns to keep the Warf Rats safe from Shere Khan after all."
"Only thing Fish for Brains is good for," Harry muttered.
"Hey DeVil," Jay said with a nod.
"DeVil," Mal said softly, giving a small nod in his direction.
Lucas chuckled. "Remind me to start getting people to shout 'hail Satan' whenever Carlos walks into a room."
"I think Chip's had too much influence on you," Audie shook her head.
She of course ignored Evie. As much as she hated the blue haired girl, the last thing she'd want was to cause a fight in such a contained environment.
She'd win of course but that was besides the point.
"The only reason you'd win in a fight is because Evie hasn't been trained to fight like you have," Malinda told Mal.
"Mal," Carlos said softly. "You hungry?"
Mal shrugged. "Depends. Did Boreadon provide food?"
"Yes?" Carlos said but it sounded like a question as he gestured to an array of brightly colored squares and items on small sticks. Mal and Jay looked at the items before looking at each other, as if questioning if they should take one.
"You didn't happen to see if there was any blue sour taffy?" Uma asked Mal.
Mal shook her head. "I didn't get a good look. Sorry Uma."
"I had food at Lord Hades' restaurant before this," Mal said after a few minutes of silence while Jay reached for one of the items. "They can't honestly call that food?"
Carlos shrugged. "At least it's better than their garbage," he muttered.
"Good point," Mal muttered.
"Wow, looks like the pup's got some bite to his bark," Harry said, shaking his head.
"It's…not that bad actually Mal," Jay said as he nibbled on one of the offered items. "Try something. It's sweet, that's all."
Mal rolled her eyes but took one of the offered items. Sweet things were rare on the Isle after all. Boreadon rarely threw out their candy. Hmm…it wasn't bad.
"Not bad," she muttered as she tilted her head, chewing away. "Not as good as Lord Hades' food but not bad."
"I don't think there's much that could be described as better than Lord Hades' food," Harry said.
"I can agree with that," Harriet nodded.
"Agreed," Jay nodded and Mal sighed as she leaned back in her seat.
"Gods Jay, what are they playing at? Inviting us to Boreadon?" Mal muttered.
Jay shrugged. "Press gimmick?"
"Has to be. It's been twenty years and all of a sudden they care about the Isle?"
"The day Ben willingly has a press gimmick is the day the Earth flies into the sun," Chip said.
"Maybe it won't be so bad?" Evie spoke up with a smile. "I mean, with the perfect princes…"
Mal scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Blueberry, you and I seem to have different ways to pronounce 'prissy'. Just do us all a favor and stay out of our way when we get there."
"That was rather rude," Rachel said, looking at Mal.
Mal shrugged. "Being rude on the Isle is a second language."
Malinda sighed. "Sorry E…"
Evie frowned but grew silent.
Good, Mal thought. It'll make the ride that much better without her yammering.
"Are…are there really dogs in Auradon?" Carlos spoke up after a few minutes.
"From what I've heard, yeah," Mal nodded. No one under the crew's protection met Estelle, as Mal wanted to keep the people who knew to a minimum. Carlos, for his timidness, was no idiot. He'd be able to put together the clues of Mal walking around with a Cerberus. Even if no one else on the Isle had.
"You know the saying, beware the quiet ones," Neal nodded.
"Oh," Carlos said and grew silent. The whole limo grew silent for a few minutes before Jay noticed something through the windshield, quickly looking away.
"Don't look out the window," he muttered to Mal, who tensed at the command.
"What's wrong?" Mal muttered back.
"There's no more road."
"What?!" Hades exclaimed. "Mal, Jay, get out of the car!"
"Use the mental link Mal!" Persephone said, tears coming to her eyes at the thought of almost losing her daughter. Yes she was immortal by that point but she still could not swim and if the limo went into the water…she didn't want to think about it. "Call us! We'll get you—both of you! Actually all of you for that matter!"
"Jay, I swear to all the Gods, get out of that car!" Harry shouted, Milah holding him close. He didn't care about his rep at that moment—all he knew was that Boreadon was going to take his best friends from him the way they took his mother.
"Harry, calm down," Jay said gently. "I'm okay."
"Mom, dad, it's okay. I'm okay," Mal added.
What?! Mal thought and, against her better judgement, looked out the windshield herself. They're trying to kill us! So this is their plan—make us relaxed by making us think we're finally getting off the Isle and then kill us by dropping us in the water. Pretty dark actually, if you think about it. Sacrificing one of their own to kill off four villain kids!
"Oh honestly if we were going to kill you there'd be no reason to waste a perfectly good driver," Leah scoffed.
"That's…that's almost reassuring in a way," Hera frowned. That was odd coming from Leah, when was the other sandal going to drop?
"We'd make sure he had a life jacket."
"There it is."
"I don't think you're the best person to make that kind of comment, Leah," Benji said, his eyes narrowing at his almost-grandmother in law.
She couldn't help but subtly grab Jay's arm, after the events at the docks she had never been near water unless she could help it. Her trips to Ursula's Chip Shoppe were the rare exceptions and her dad only allowed those trips if she was with Uma, Harry or Jay-and even then she made sure Harry or Uma were always on the side closest to the water. Jay subtly put his arm around Mal, as if covering her body with his.
Mal looked over at Jay. "Jay, I'm immortal. You should have thought about yourself."
"Mal, being immortal doesn't magically give you the power to swim," Jay told her. "You mattered more than I did."
"It's a trap!" Carlos exclaimed, finally noticing the lack of road himself but nothing happened as the four VKs began to panic. Instead the limo was awash in golden light.
Rapunzel gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in shock. "You…you thought we were going to kill you?"
"You all left us alone on an Isle for twenty years. What were we supposed to think?" Jay asked with a shrug.
"Wait, what just happened?" Mal asked, shocked they weren't plummeting to a watery grave.
"It must be magic!" Evie gushed and looked over her shoulder. Mal rolled her eyes but had to agree, even if she wouldn't voice out loud. She wouldn't give Blueberry that satisfaction.
Emma rolled her eyes. "You know you can admit when she's right, it won't kill you."
"Hey, did that button just open the magic barrier?" Evie asked the driver, pointing to one of the buttons on the ceiling.
"No," the driver told her and held up a remote. "This one opens up the magic barrier, that one opens my garage and this one…"
He pressed another button and a divider went up, separating the four VKs from the driver.
"Honestly!" Belle exclaimed. "I'll be having a talk with that driver, you kids didn't deserve to be treated so rudely!"
"Oh just like we didn't deserve to be imprisoned on an Isle meant to keep villains just for the crime of being born?" Uma asked with a faux-sweet tone to her voice.
"Okay, nasty. I like that guy," Mal chuckled. How could she not? It was so…not Boreadon-y that she had to smirk. Jay chuckled and even Carlos had to nod as Evie sat back down with a small pout.
Malinda chuckled slightly. "Sorry Evie, I know I shouldn't laugh but I forgot how much I liked that driver."
"Serves Blueberry right," Mal muttered to Jay. "But…why's she asking about the barrier?"
Because if I don't find a way to bring down the barrier, Maleficent'll…I don't want to think about what she'll do to my dad, Evie thought. It helped that Snow knew but it didn't change the fact that it had to be done.
"Curiosity?" Jay suggested but he had a frown on his face, as if something wasn't sitting right with him.
"It's not a crime to be curious though," Neal said, shaking his head.
"Since when is Blueberry curious about anything but boys and makeup?"
Jay shrugged. "We'll keep an eye on her."
"I mean, not that she has the brain cells to do anything right?" Mal scoffed.
"You can be girly and still have brain cells," Lucy said as she looked over at Mal.
"Don't underestimate anyone Mal," Jay muttered. "It could end up with us getting a stab in the back. Don't forget, it's the exact same trick my dad played back in Agrabah."
"I know Jay," Mal nodded. "But still…it's Blueberry we're talking about. If it's not about a boy or makeup, she doesn't care."
"That's not true!" Dizzy exclaimed.
"Maybe it was a one time fluke," Jay muttered, nodding his head. "Still, our parents underestimated people and got put on the Isle for it…"
"True." Mal sighed. "We'll keep an eye on her then."
The ride to Auradon Prep continued on in silence, Mal wincing slightly at how bright everything was.
Note to self: include sunglasses for the next group, Ben thought to himself.
"We will definitely need sunscreen," she muttered under her breath. Well maybe Jay wouldn't but DeVil definitely would. So would she. Blueberry probably already had some packed if any showed up in the last barge, wouldn't want her perfect skin ruined by the sun.
"Huh…I didn't even think about that," Ben said with a small frown. "That living without sun all your lives would have made it so your skin would be more susceptible to burning."
"I'll swipe some as soon as we get out of the limo," Jay promised, having heard the mutter. "Gods, how do they live with this?"
"How do you think?" Mal told him. "They're used to it. Probably just like they're used to sending us their garbage."
"Let's make the most of it huh? Hey, maybe we could sneak some fresh stuff over to Harry and Uma," Jay whispered to her.
"We'd definitely appreciate that!" Uma said and Harry nodded.
"I like the sound of that Jay," she whispered back with a smirk.
Jay smirked back at her as he pocketed some more of the oddly colored food for later. "So…what do you think Beastie Jr's going to be like?"
"Stuck up," Mal muttered.
"Okay so I was wrong again," Malinda chuckled and kissed Benji on the cheek. "I think if you looked up the definition of 'stuck up' in the dictionary, you'd find Ben's name as an antonym."
"Well that goes without saying," Jay scoffed. "After all, he is the crown prince of Boreadon."
"So Jay, how do those words taste?" Lucas asked with a small chuckle.
"Like I said Jay, this is probably just a press stunt," Mal sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Earth flies into sun," Chip repeated.
"Besides, there's no way Beastie is actually stepping down for a sixteen year old to take his place."
She was referring, of course, to the announcement that had gone out the year before.
"Dad, dad, dad! Did you hear the news?" Mal asked as she ran into the Underworld, Estelle at her heels.
"Do tell. What gossip has Boreadon deemed worthy to feed us this time? Must be something juicy to get that reaction from you," Hades said, in the midst of trying out a new recipe for the restaurant.
"Lord Hades, how many does your restaurant have?" Kitty asked. "It seems like every time you're introduced lately, you're working on another recipe."
Hades shrugged. "You know I don't know. Right now I know I've got the fish, and the chicken, and the meatballs…"
"And the curly fries!" Mal and Harry added with a grin.
"Beast is stepping down from the throne! Beastie Jr.'s going to be king!" Mal exclaimed, sliding into the kitchen as she was trying to stop.
Aziz shook his head. "Yeah I still don't know how that can be considered a good idea, to make a then fifteen year old King."
"It was my idea, I offered," Ben said.
"It may have been your idea but your parents could have still said no, Ben," Lonnie told him.
Hades' head snapped up from the recipe. "He what?!"
"The coronation's next year," Mal said. "The Dragon may already know because of her spies but I grabbed the announcement before she could see it yesterday."
Despite the update to the registry, they had decided it was probably better for Mal's safety if she made occasional appearances at Maleficent's castle. Thankfully, it was only once or twice a month.
Persephone shook her head. "That's still too often for my liking."
"Well….that is surprising. No doubt he's just a mini Beast though, I doubt much will change here. Good job hiding it from the Dragon though."
"Really Hades?" Persephone sighed. "You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Judging a child based on your dislike of their parent."
Mal sighed. "Dad…is it wrong to hope Beastie Jr. will be better than his dad?"
"There's nothing wrong with hoping for a better life," Cinderella said, her voice soft.
"No. You're young Mal, it's natural."
"But I've been on the Isle for fifteen years. I should be more vicious shouldn't I? Or at least more realistic? That's what the Dragon says when I grace her with my presence at least."
"Just like I told you that you shouldn't change for Boreadon, don't change for the Dragon either Mali," Hades said.
"Maleficent's brain is basically 'be evil, be evil, be evil' Mali. It's better to not follow her world view."
"But if I'm not going to leave the Isle, I…I'll need to toughen up even more right?" Mal asked, sitting down at the counter. "I mean, being nice only earns you a rep as an easy target around here."
"It also earns you genuine allies like Henry and the Warf Rats," Malinda pointed out.
"Mali, think of it this way. You're ruthless when you need to be but you treat your minions decently don't you?"
"Ruthless yet Loyal, I've heard of that," Benji said with a small smile as he looked at Malinda.
"Well yeah," Mal nodded. "I mean Uma's not a minion, she's family and we have to make sure Harry and Jay don't hurt themselves picking a fight with the wrong person. Besides someone has to look after DeVil and Gil so they don't get hurt—DeVil because he's too timid and Gil because…well because he's Gil."
Harriet sighed and gave Harry a look. "Now's not the time for an hour long rant about Gil."
Harry opened his mouth but then noticed the looks he was getting from both Uma and his mother. "Yes Harriet."
"That's my point. It's a better way to survive by not being completely evil. Having people who are loyal to you is better than ruling by fear and getting stabbed in the back."
"Oh can that happen to Freddy? Because he seems to only rule by fear," Harry said, perking up slightly.
"Or the front in the Dragon's case," Mal pointed out with a smirk. As much as she hated Aurora and her family, she wasn't going to lie—Phillip stabbing her birth giver with his sword was her favorite part of that story.
Phillip Sr. smiled slightly as he heard that. Yes it was sad that Mal's favorite part of the story was Maleficent getting stabbed but at least he was able to give her a bit of joy.
"Hmph," Audrey scoffed. "Figures the VK would like the stabbing and not the romantic True Love's Kiss."
"But dad, you have a minion who's name is literally Panic and you were never betrayed by him."
"Panic's jumpy, yes, but he also knows I have his back. Of course I have to now, considering he's family being married to Vanessa and all."
"I'm sorry what?" Lucas asked.
Malinda grinned. "I knew having those cards made would be worth it," she said as she fished out her wallet. Opening it up, she handed Lucas a laminated card about the size a business card would be.
"Yes Panic has a child with Vanessa. No we don't know how that's possible. Yes others were just as confused as you were," Lucas read.
"I don't know why but I got the whim to have them made up. Benny here thought it was pregnancy brain," Malinda chuckled.
"Oh." Mal said. "Wait, does this mean I have to be nice to Blueberry?"
"No, it means you keep eyes on her and only retaliate if she starts something."
Mal looked a little unsure about that. "Dad, this is the daughter of the Evil Queen remember? I don't trust her as far as I can throw her."
"No throwing Evie to see just how far you can," Persephone said quickly.
"Aww mom!"
"And that's why I'm saying you don't have to be nice to her."
"Oh that's easy," Mal smirked and then looked around. "Where's Hadie? I thought that little storm cloud would have been by my side the second I slid in here?"
Mal sighed slightly—she'd still have to come up with a new nickname for her brother since she wasn't sure if he was still comfortable with storm cloud.
"Three, two, one," Hades counted, chuckling at Mal's nickname for her brother—what used to be a derogatory name had turned into a term of endearment. A blue blur slid into the kitchen and Mal smirked as her nine almost ten year old brother ran in.
"Mali!"
"Hello my little beastie," Mal chuckled.
"Did you hear the news Mal?" Hadie asked, bouncing a little. "There's going to be a new king! Oh, and Dizzy's going to start working at Lady Tremaine's shop!"
"Joy," Dizzy sighed. "If only there was more to do than just sweeping all the time."
"Yeah I heard. Well the king news, not the Dizzy news," Mal nodded. "Let's hope Beastie Jr. eases up on us somewhat huh?"
"Think we'd get to go to Auradon?" Hadie asked, the grin still on his face and the bouncing getting more intense.
"I'll make sure of it it," Ben promised, giving Hadie a small smile.
"Is it possible he's had some sugar?" Mal asked Hades.
"We don't get sugar here Mali. He's hyped because of the news," Hades remarked, his tone deadpanned.
"Well that's something we'll have to fix!" Akiho said as he and Emir pulled out bars of chocolate.
"…where were you keeping those?" Mal asked, tilting her head as Kristoff and Jasmine shook their heads at their sons' antics.
"Magic!" Emir smirked as he handed a chocolate bar to Hadie.
"Mom brought some snacks from Boreadon," Hadie said. "They were good! Too sweet though."
"Do you remember what it was?" Mal muttered to Hadie. "I'll see if I can send you some."
"Your mother gave you sugar?" Hades exclaimed. "Persephone!"
"Yes dear?" Persephone walked into the kitchen. "You bellowed?"
"You hyped our nine year old up on sugar?"
Persephone looked over at Hades. "And what is wrong with giving my son a few sweet things dear? He rarely gets them."
"I gave him a few pieces," Persephone said rolling her eyes. "I did not 'hype him up' as you put it."
"I liked it!" Hadie grinned.
"Clearly," Mal smirked.
The limo came to a stop, bringing Mal out of her thoughts and she sighed. This was it. Two students and an older woman stood in front of the school to greet them as a marching band played.
"The start of one of the best days of my life," Benji said, his voice soft as he kissed Malinda's cheek.
At least we didn't come out of the limo fighting or anything. That would have been an excellent first impression, Mal thought.
"You did in my timeline," Audie chuckled. "Well Carlos and Jay did. They were fighting over what looked like a towel if I remember correctly. But yeah, not the best first impression."
She couldn't stop the smirk that came to her lips as she saw the boy's bright yellow pants. She almost pitied him. Almost being the operative word.
Ben looked down at his pants, the aforementioned bright yellow ones. "They're…they're not that bad are they?"
"Ben, let me put it to you this way," Chip said with a chuckle. "Never go into fashion."
"It's so nice to meet all of you," the boy spoke up, a kind smile on his face as he gestured to the woman standing next to him. "This is Fairy Godmother, headmistress of Auradon Prep, and I'm Ben."
"Is the introduction necessary?" Harry asked. "We only get two channels—the dungeon shopping network and Auradon News. They'll know who you are."
Benji shrugged slightly. "I didn't want to assume anything. It would have have made me look stuck up if I thought you guys already knew."
"Prince Ben!" The girl standing next to him on his other side exclaimed. "Soon to be king!"
"Gods I can't believe I used to act like that," Audie sighed, shaking her head.
"What? There's nothing wrong with being proud of and announcing your station," Audrey said with a slight scoff.
"Did you ever consider that Ben might have been deliberately avoiding using his title so the VKs might not have thought that he was only there out of obligation?" Emma shot back.
"Ah, I might have known," Mal muttered under her breath.
"You had me at prince," Evie smiled as she walked up to Ben and gave a small curtsey. "My mom's a queen which makes me a princess."
Yeah well my parents are Gods so that makes me a godling but you don't see me bragging about it, Mal thought as she rolled her eyes.
Evie winced slightly as she heard just how obvious she was in flirting with Ben.
"The Evil Queen has no royal status here and neither do you," the girl said rather harshly in Mal's opinion. Oh Blueberry deserved it, don't get her wrong. Mal was just surprised a Boreadon royal wasn't sickly sweet.
Oh she's anything but sickly sweet, Malinda thought with a small frown.
"If the Evil Queen has no royal status, then why do you still call her the Evil Queen?" Dizzy asked. "Why not use her name?"
Snow gave Evie a small smile. "There is every chance Evie that you can still get your title. Not from your mother but from me."
"Audrey!" Aurora scolded.
"What? I haven't even said this mother!" Audrey exclaimed. "The VKs had just come out of the limo when the Fates brought us here!"
"This is Audrey," Ben said quickly as if to diffuse any tension between the two groups.
"Princess Audrey, his girlfriend. Right Bennyboo?" Audrey said, grabbing Ben's hand.
"Not for long," Malinda muttered.
"Out of curiosity, where did that nickname come from Audrey?" Emma asked.
Mal fought the urge to roll her eyes but frowned slightly as Ben seemed to almost stiffen at Audrey's touch.
Hmm…that's interesting, she thought. Still she had to still smirk at the nickname. I almost pity you Beastie. Almost.
"Rest assured that nickname got retired," Benji said quickly.
Ben slipped out of Audrey's grasp and started shaking each of the VK's hands.
"It is so, so good to finally meet you all," Ben said, trying to recover from the nickname Audrey had revealed. "This is a momentous occasion, and one that I hope will go down in history as the day our two peoples begin to heal."
"Is that on the fly?" Chip asked.
"Huh?"
"You know, because she threw you off? You sound a bit awkward there and that's not normal for you."
"As soon as I can tell the future Chip, I'll tell you."
"I am from the future," Benji pointed out. "And yes, it was Chip."
"Or the day you show four peoples where the bathroom is," Mal snarked.
Ben looked over at Mal. "A bit over the top?"
"More than a bit," Mal nodded.
Malinda smiled and then winced as the baby kicked. "Yes little one, that was maman and papa's first meeting. The first step that would lead to you existing huh?"
"There's no way your marriage is even legal!" Audrey exclaimed. "Ben and I still have the contract, even if there are nonsensical talks about getting rid of it!"
"As I told your grandmother Audrey, I can assure you our marriage is legal and Mal has both the engagement and the wedding ring to prove it."
"Well so much for my first impression," Ben said with a chuckle and Mal couldn't help but give him a small smile. So far, he was a lot different than what she'd expected.
"Ben, considering I married you, I'd say you had just the right first impression," Malinda said, giving Benji a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, you're Maleficent's daughter right?" Audrey butted in, as if she was trying to break the moment.
Audie shook her head. "Oh Gods, I remember this conversation from my timeline. If I remember correctly, the next line out of my mouth is going to be something like 'Yeah you know what? I totally do not blame you for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff. Oh, my mom's Aurora. Sleeping…'."
"…you just remembered that right off the cuff like that?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, I'm not," Mal said, crossing her arms and she had to smirk as Ben, Audrey and Fairy Godmother froze. Sure she was about to reveal something to DeVil and Blueberry but she was going to set the record straight with these spoiled royals. "Next time you guys send invites, make sure you have the right information. If you must know, Maleficent's daughter is dead. She died at six years old but my parents didn't want your oh so generous offer to go to waste so I came."
"You could have eased us into that you know," Benji muttered to Malinda.
Malinda gave him a small smirk. "Now Benny, does that really sound like me?"
Mal wasn't going to lie, she was savoring the stunned looks she was getting not only from Sleeping Brat but from Blueberry as well.
"Be nice Mal," Jay muttered but smirked all the same. Gods, we haven't even gotten inside…
"I am being nice. I'm just giving them the facts."
"So…so who's daughter are you?" Audrey asked.
"You know, considering the fact that Lord Hades isn't listed as Mal's father in the registry, that is a fair question," Evan spoke up.
Mal smirked. "Lady Persephone's," she said with a mocking bow and she wasn't going to lie, she loved being able to say that out loud. Plus, you know, the continued stunned looks that were on Fairy Godmother, Audrey's and Ben's faces.
Uma shook her head. "You are having way too much fun there Mali."
"What? I'm clearly just straightening out the misinformation they have. Plus it's the first time I get to say that out loud somewhere that's not the Underworld."
"But anyway, now that we have cleared up my parentage, are we going to just stand here all day?"
"Oh right!" Ben exclaimed and clapped his hands together. "How bout a tour?"
"You bounced back from getting that news rather quickly," Lil Shang said. "Or will bounce back."
Benji chuckled. "My dad used to be a Beast not to mention my best friends have grown up around a flying carpet, a genie, and a giant snowman. Meeting a Godling was a Monday for me."
"Plus I think we've desensitized him to our insanity, he just rolls with the punches now," Akiho added.
Mal shrugged. "Fine."
Ben smiled and led them toward the school, Audrey clinging to his arm.
"Auradon Prep, originally built over 300 years ago and converted into a high school by my father when he became king," Ben said as they stopped by the statue of King Beast.
Right, Mal thought with an inward eye roll. Who makes a 300 year old building a school anyway? And dear Gods Brat, you can lessen the grip on his arm. Insecure much?
"That's a good question," Malinda said, looking at her father in law. "Why did you make a three hundred year old building a school?"
"…let's just say that castle holds some memories for me. I thought it would be better to put it to another use," Beast told her.
I'm guessing due to the snark in your thoughts that you've made it to Auradon? Steph's voice came through Mal's mental link, the same link all the Gods shared. Mal could only assume that since the other Gods of Olympus had no idea she existed, they had blocked her link along with Hades', Uma's and Hadie's. Otherwise, why weren't they championing for change for the Isle?
"We didn't know the Isle needed change for us to champion for," Hera said, looking over at her niece.
My thoughts are always snarky mom.
"She wouldn't be Mali if she wasn't snarky," Uma chuckled.
Not to this degree Mali. I'm so sorry I'm not there. Zeus has us stuck in a meeting of all things. If it lasts any longer, I'm going to find out if you can in fact kill a God.
"So…we'll not be having that meeting," Zeus said as Persephone glared at the God.
"Good choice."
Hades grinned. "If you do have the meeting though and Steph tries to kill you, anyway you could have a video camera rolling Zeus so I can see it?"
Demeter shook her head. "Honestly Zeus, Persephone should have been excused from that meeting. Her daughter was coming to Auradon of all places, she could have used a familiar face."
I...I will see you at some point right mom?
Athena would have to turn me into a spider to keep me away from you Mal. You're my daughter. Whenever you need me, I'll be there.
You have no idea how right you are there Mom, Malinda thought with a sad smile, as thoughts of a certain handler crossed her mind. When I need you, not even the barrier around the Isle can hold you back.
Ben clapped his hands together, an impressive feat considering the vice like grip Audrey had on his arm, and caused the statue to change from a human to a beast. Carlos screamed, jumping back into Jay and pulled Mal out of her thoughts.
"Oh gods DeVil, get a grip!" Jay griped but grabbed the smaller boy as to prevent him from falling down. "It's a statue!"
"Jay, be nice. You know he's jumpy," Mal muttered.
"Whoa…your mother did a number on you huh?" Aziz said softly, looking at Carlos.
Carlos shrugged, trying to look just as tough as Jay or Harry did. Or even Harriet, Mal, and Uma. No one ever looked at them with pity.
"Carlos…I really think you should consider therapy…" Ben said, his voice gentle.
"I'm fine," Carlos muttered as he shook his head, though he stiffed as Estelle walked over to him, resting a head on his leg.
He could sense that the omega needed some comfort even if he wouldn't admit it. Humans were stubborn that way.
"You're not fine Carlos. But that's okay," Benji said softly. "There are resources to help you come out of your shell, you just need to ask for them."
"Come on guys, DeVil says he's fine. He's always been like this so lay off okay?" Jay said. DeVil's timidness might annoy the living daylights out of me but he's under Warf Rat protection so I'm not going to let him get badgered!
"Trust me Jay, it's not a dig at him," Malinda said. "I know the smart, loyal, confident guy Carlos can be and is. He just needs a push out of his shell."
Carlos gave Malinda a small smile as he heard the compliment but sighed. "Guys seriously…I've been like this my whole life. I'm fine."
Everyone glanced at each other but dropped the subject. For now. After all, Ben was promising himself that he'd keep an eye out for Carlos…
Ben looked over at them, having heard Carlos' scream. "Carlos, it's okay. My father wanted the statue to be able to transform from beast to man to remind us that anything's possible."
"Anything's possible as long as you fit his definition of 'good' you mean," Harry scoffed.
"Yeah, not much is possible on the Isle you trapped us on," CJ snarked.
"Does he shed much?" Mal snarked as she looked up at the statue.
"Oh yeah, mom won't let him on the couch," Ben nodded, a deadpanned tone to his voice. Mal couldn't help but give Ben another look. She definitely hadn't expected that response from him. This could be interesting.
Malinda giggled slightly. "Sorry Ben but hearing that again, I forgot how snarky that was. Definitely one of the things that drew me to you."
"So do you guys have a lot of magic here in Auradon? You know like wands and things like that?" Evie spoke up, and Mal rolled her eyes. Figures Blueberry would focus on the sparkly things.
Gods I should have looked deeper into that, Malinda thought. Though it was smart of Evie, to use her already established rep as an airhead and a flirt to avoid suspicion from the three of us.
"Yeah," Ben said with a nod. "I mean, it exists of course but it's pretty much retired. Most of us are just ordinary mortals now."
"With a few Godlings thrown in there," Elle chuckled.
Hades shook his head. "That's ridiculous. What are the Godlings and other kids born with magic supposed to do? Let me guess, they have to get permission to use something they're born with?"
"Well the Godlings can come to Olympus to practice using their powers," Hera said.
"Who just happen to be kings and queens," Mal quipped.
"That's true!" Audrey beamed. "Our royal blood goes back thousands of years," she said, smiling as she made Ben's arm drape over her shoulder.
"Not all of our royal blood," Ashaki spoke up.
"Yeah, my dad's not royal at all," Akiho nodded.
"Neither's mine," Rowyn agreed. "And I don't know why we need to point that out but Ben's mom wasn't born royal either."
"Actually there're quite a few royal couples where one of the pairing wasn't born royal," Tiana spoke up. "It helps the bloodline, doing that. Otherwise you all wind up related."
Phillip Jr looked over at Audrey with a raised eyebrow. "Really? I don't think Grandmother's been teaching you your history properly. I think our royal blood only goes back two generations at the most."
"At least Grammy's teaching me and not letting me wander around on my lonesome," Audrey snapped.
Audie shook her head. "Trust me. We'd be better off if she let us go off on our lonesome."
Mal had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the simpering fool as they made their way into the school. Okay Beastie, you need a smarter girlfriend if the one you're currently dating doesn't know she's outranked by two people in our group here. Pretty sure crown prince outranks princess and I definitely outrank her-unless she's already forgotten the little bombshell I dropped five minutes ago.
"Right, that's actually something I should have asked at the time," Malinda nodded and looked over at Aurora and Phillip Sr. "Does Audrey experience memory problems? I mean I had just told her I was a Godling not five minutes ago and she doesn't seem to be able to remember that she's outranked by at least two people there."
Plus maybe it was her imagination but Mal didn't think Ben really appreciated that 'royal blood' line.
"Knowing Ben the way we do, I can say with certainty that he did not," Akiho nodded.
"So who's idea was this press gimmick?" Mal asked as they headed inside.
"Press gimmick?" Ben asked, looking confused as he turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"
"Like I said, the day Ben has a press gimmick is the day the Earth flies into the sun," Chip said, shaking his head.
"Bringing us over?" Mal prompted, gesturing to herself and the other VKs. "No one's cared about the Isle for twenty years and now suddenly we matter? How much attention is this whole thing going to get?"
"Mal I can assure you, this isn't a press gimmick," Ben said. "Bringing the children of the Isle of the Lost to Auradon was my idea. You guys are part of Auradon, you deserve the same chance we get. After all it's all just circumstance. You could have very well been born here but for Fate's choice."
Uma looked over at Malinda and raised an eyebrow. "Are we sure he's human?"
"I'm sure. I don't think I could have gotten pregnant if he was a robot," Malinda said with a chuckle before taking another strawberry from her bowl.
Mal shared a look with Jay, as if they didn't believe what Ben was saying. Before either of them could say anything though, Ben waved to another boy who was walking down the stairs toward them.
Benji smiled, he knew who it was who was walking toward them. Doug was one of the few people that could truly be described as a true friend. Well after Emir, Lonnie, and Akiho of course—and that was before Ben had met the VKs.
"Doug! Doug, come down!" Ben said. "Guys, Doug has your schedules and know the way to your dorms. Any questions?"
"Yeah where is Doug?" Emir asked. "If the scrolls are going to start mentioning him, you'd think he'd be here?"
"Who are we rooming with?" Mal asked. "Or do we have separate rooms?"
"Ah no," Ben said. "Carlos, you'll be rooming with Jay and Evie, you'll be rooming with Mal."
"Nope! No! Sorry but absolutely not!"
"She can room with me," Lonnie said, looking at Ben. "I mean, she's clearly not happy with rooming with Evie, Ben, and mom's already her legal contact here."
Jay quickly wrapped a hand around Mal's mouth. "That's Isle for 'thank you'," he said before whispering to Mal. "Calm down. Remember the plan—just come and see me."
"Easy to you to say, you're not rooming with Princess Blueberry!" Mal hissed, Jay's hand still covering her mouth.
"Remember why we're here Mal. It's just for a while and then you'll have Uma to room with," Jay muttered. Mal shot him a glare but nodded slightly.
Uma and Harry stared at Mal, slightly in shock. They knew of course how loyal Mal was to them but they also knew how much she hated Evie. For her to room with Blueberry just to give them a shot of getting off the Isle…
Hadie also stared at his sister. He had been subjected to many a rant about the blue haired wannabe Princess so he knew how much Mal despised her. But he also knew that Ben was the key for him to get off the Isle—and so did Mal.
"Fine."
"Great!" Ben said as Jay released his hold on Mal's mouth. "Well I'll see you guys later and if there's anything you guys need, feel free to—"
"Ask Doug," Audrey finished.
"Audrey!" Aurora scolded.
"What Audrey? Scared that Ben might actually find a girl he wants to be around if he's around us?" Malinda asked.
"Or me. As I said, this was my idea. Any concerns or questions, my door is always open," Ben said.
"And your door would be where?" Mal asked. "Should we have these supposed questions?"
"Oh look Audrey, a girl who actually cares where Ben's office is," Lonnie said, giving Audrey a look.
Ben chuckled. "Just down the left hallway, then turn right. My office'll be three doors down on the left."
"If you see a black haired or blond boy running into it or dragging Ben out of it, you've come to the right location," Emma said with a nod.
Mal nodded. She doubted she'd need it but it was good to have just in case.
"As I said, Doug knows everything anyway. Ask him. Bennyboo's very busy," Audrey said harshly as she dragged Ben off.
"First thing she's said that I agree with," Emir muttered.
"Ha," Mal muttered, rolling her eyes. "Possessive much?"
"You know, that just proves that their relationship won't work," Rowyn said. "If Audrey can't even trust Ben to let go of him for two minutes when he's around other girls."
"If she clung to him any tighter, she'd be a snake," Jay snickered.
"She is a snake," Akiho and Emir muttered.
Ben shook his head. "Come on guys…"
"But, um, don't look now but it seems dwarf boy is smitten by Blueberry."
"Of course he is. Wasn't every boy on the Dragon's side of the Isle? Probably some of the boys on our side too," Mal muttered.
"Yeah but I thought the people in Boreadon had brains," Jay muttered back. Mal snorted but her thoughts seemed to flick back to Ben without permission.
Benji smiled slightly as he heard that. He knew Malinda loved him but it was nice to know that even at the start, she was at least attracted to him.
He definitely was different than what Mal had thought a prince of Boreadon would be like.
Malinda nodded and gave Mal a small smile. "Oh yes, you're going to find that he most definitely is different than what one would think an Auradon royal would be like."
He wasn't stuck up and his welcoming attitude seemed genuine. Not to mention it had been his idea to bring kids from the Isle. Not for some press thing to make himself look good. In fact, unless they were really good at hiding, Mal didn't think there had been any press there when they arrived.
"The press aren't allowed on Auradon Prep's property unless invited by Fairy Godmother or King Beast," Snow White said.
Plus, maybe Mal was imagining it, but there was almost a silent 'help me' cry radiating from Ben when he was around his 'girlfriend' that made Mal's more protective instincts flare up.
Belle, Beast, Aurora, and Phillip Sr. all frowned slightly as they heard that. Belle and Beast frowned as their son shouldn't have a 'help me' cry when he was around his girlfriend while Aurora and Phillip frowned as Audrey shouldn't have made him feel like that.
"You see? Mal's known you for five minutes at this point and even she can sense it," Chip told Ben.
We're getting him away from this girl right? Mal thought to Uma.
Considering you marry him, I'd say that's a done deal, Uma thought back.
Ben shook his head. He didn't have a 'help me' cry…did he?
"That's ridiculous! Bennyboo doesn't have a 'help me' cry when I'm around him!" Audrey exclaimed.
"People who are happy to be around someone don't stiffen when they're touched by that person," Lonnie snapped.
She didn't like owing debts, and getting her off the Isle was probably the biggest debt she could think of.
Ben shook his head. "You don't owe me anything. It's the right thing to do."
But anyway, Ben had seemed to stiffen every time Audrey latched on to him, like someone staking her territory for the whole world to see. And yeah, okay, Blueberry had flirted with Ben but he didn't even seem to notice or care. In fact, he'd been looking at Mal. From the second they shook hands, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her.
He's just being friendly, Mal told herself. After all, whether they think I'm the Dragon's spawn or knowing I'm mom's kid, I'm still the highest ranked VK here.
"That wasn't it, was it? You liked me, you just wouldn't do anything about it," Malinda whispered to Benji.
She sighed softly as they made their way to their dorms. She honestly didn't know how she was going to survive a month with Perky Princess Blueberry as a roommate. Mal scowled as she entered her room, seeing how bright and airy it was. She. Hated. It.
"Please tell me you changed that room! I am not sleeping in a pink room!" Mal exclaimed, looking at Malinda.
Malinda shook her head. "You spend most of your time sleeping in Jay's dorm anyway so there was no point in changing it. Gave Evie a small mercy after all."
"I'm sorry my dear but boys and girls are not to be in the same room overnight after curfew," Fairy Godmother said with a small frown.
Mal rolled her eyes. "Honestly. We're VKs. You really think that'll stop us?"
"It's not like the school would know anyway. No one ever checks the dorms after curfew," Chad muttered.
Lonnie raised an eyebrow. "Seriously FG? Jane, Ben, Emir, Akiho, and I have sleep overs all the time when we can drag Ben from his paperwork. It's harmless!"
Note to self, change the color of the VK girls' dorm, Ben thought to himself.
She missed her room in the Underworld, with the dark tones and the lack of light. She didn't need to look over at Blueberry to know that she probably loved it.
"She did," Malinda nodded. "If there's one girl who loved being in Auradon, it's Evie."
However, a package on her bed distracted her from her hatred of her room and Mal had to smirk a little.
Dear Mal,
I wasn't sure if you would have brought your own but here's a small welcoming gift to welcome you to Auradon.
"Open mouth, insert foot," Ben sighed and shook his head.
Just a few things to help you settle in: shampoo, conditioner, a face cloth and towel, and some soap. It's not much I know but I hope it helps a bit.
"It was more than you know," Malinda said softly as she kissed Benji on the cheek.
Ruby frowned. "Hang on…if it's true that there's no running water on the Isle…then how do you guys wash your hair? Do you use shampoo?"
"Ruby, that's a rather personal question," Rapunzel told her daughter.
Mal and Uma shrugged. "We get by."
Though neither girl could avoid the slight feeling of self consciousness that crept into their veins. Yes Hades and Persephone had set up a tub of desalted water for when they didn't want to bathe in the Cove/whenever Mal needed a bath but it probably wasn't the same as what Auradon had to offer.
"Okay, hospital first but after that some sort of bath or shower house needs to go on the Isle," Ben said firmly. "Basic hygiene's another human right that they've been denied it seems."
Welcome to Auradon.
-Ben
"Well that's…friendly," Mal muttered as she looked through the items. Sure the room was as princessey as one could get but the toiletries almost seemed neutral in some way.
"Out of curiosity, who helped pick out the products for our packages?" Malinda asked, looking at Benji.
"Lonnie and Jordan helped pick out the products for your package and Evie's while Emir and Akiho picked out the ones for Jay and Carlos," Benji said with a smile.
"Who's Jordan?" Mal asked.
"Genie's daughter," Malinda said. "Ben here gets her and Jay mixed up all the time."
As if Ben was trying to not assume they'd be the same as the girls in Auradon. The label on the shampoo said it was 'strawberry' scented…whatever those were.
Malinda shook her head. "Oh you have so much to learn. I can't believe there was a time when I didn't know what strawberries were!"
"Look at this room!" Evie squealed. "It's so amazing! And we get presents! How great is this?"
Ben smiled slightly as he heard that. At least I didn't mess up with one of the VKs, he thought.
Mal couldn't help but nod a little. "Interesting way to store soap," she muttered as she picked up the bottle of soap/body wash. If there was soap on the Isle, it normally was the dregs of bars of soap; washed as thin as possible.
"That doesn't sound all that sanitary," Rose said, wrinkling her nose at the idea of using used soap.
All of the VKs shrugged, it wasn't as if they really had a choice in the matter.
"Hmm, black orchid and jasmine scented. Nice."
"You like black orchids?" Ben asked, mentally making a note of that.
Mal shrugged. "If I must partake in the prissy rituals of liking a flower, I will say that I am rather partial to them."
She put it down and turned to look at Evie. "Listen up Blueberry. We may be forced to be roommates but we are not friends. You keep to your side and I'll keep to mine. Just like the Isle," she growled as she picked a bed and drew the curtains.
"Well that sounds like a fun way to spend a month," Rachel said, shaking her head.
"It…maybe it won't be so bad Mal," Evie offered. "Maybe we could grow to be friends?"
"Really Blueberry? Do you have a death wish?" Uma asked, shaking her head.
"It sounds like it was worth a shot anyway," Evie muttered.
Mal stuck her head out from the curtains. "If you value never seeing a smoke bomb again, you'll rethink that statement. Don't think that just because Uma's on the Isle, we'll suddenly become friends."
Malinda shook her head. "Well it certainly wasn't sudden but don't count out the idea of becoming Evie's friend."
She ripped open the curtains and began to stalk to the door. If Blueberry was going to insist on talking, she could talk to herself. "I'm going to Jay's room. Do not touch my stuff," she growled and stormed out.
"You should have taken it with you!" Uma exclaimed.
"Uma's right," Harry nodded. "Rule of the Isle, always guard your valuables!"
Mal shrugged. "I'm just spitballing here since it's the future and all but do you really think that Blueberry is going to risk making me mad when I've got full access to my magic?"
"And on that note, that's the end of the scroll," Abby said. "Who wants next?"
"I'll go," Herkie offered.