A tablet appeared on the screen, followed by a voice.
"Once upon a time, long, long ago..."
"Mal!" Evie grabbed Mal's arm and looked at her in panic. "That's your voice!"
"Way to state the obvious, E!" Mal hissed back, hiding her own panic. What was Persephone playing at? If this was going to be from her perspective and about their lives, then they were going to be back on the Isle before you could say bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!
well, more like 20 years ago...
Muffled laughter came from the younger generation while the older generation varied from amused to slightly offended. King Eugene even shouted, "We're not that old!" to which his eldest son responded, "Yeah, I mean what young person has a kid who's turning twenty?"
"Quiet you."
Belle married her Beast in front of 6,000 of their closest, personal friends.
"6,000 people!" Carlos exclaimed, mouth open in shock.
Belle nodded, and Mal noticed that her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "We were in the process of forming a new kingdom." She told them. "Our wedding served as a way to bring people together, and to form new bonds."
Big cake. Yeah, so instead of a honeymoon,
"You guys didn't have a honeymoon?" Ben asked, looking at his parents. Belle shook her head while Beast explained.
"The Kingdom was so new, and with the villains running around we just didn't have the time."
Mal's voice explained how Beast was the one to become elected, and that he rounded up all the villains and sidekicks, "basically all the really interesting people,"
Audrey crossed her arms, glaring over at Mal. "We're interesting," She said.
"Some Ak's are," Evie told the princess. "You're not."
"And the VK's are?" Audrey asked with a scoff. This time it was Carlos who responded.
"Over half of the VK's know how to fight by the time they're four." He said, "By the time you're ten, if you want to survive, you need to be able to defend yourself against someone twice your size. Because of this, we all have gangs, almost no one is ever alone." He tore his gaze away from Audrey, surveying the scene around them. Many kids were looking sick, but their faces didn't hold up to the horrified expressions on their parents' faces.
Jay continued where Carlos stopped. "When you're not in school, you're learning survival techniques, including anything from street fighting to brewing potions. And if you have the resources, you learn as much as you can. Everyone on the island knows bits and pieces of different languages, but only a few are truly fluent in them. Mal is one of the few true polyglot'."
While many of the royals were still looking sick to their stomach's, or ready to kill depending on who you were talking about, Prince Aksel latched onto a seemingly unimportant detail. "Mal's a polyglot?"
Jay looked to Mal, raising a brow. She shrugged and flicked her wrist, causing him to grin. "She's fluent in French, English, Latin, Greek, Danish, and Arabic." He boasted. "And knows bits and pieces of other languages."
With all eyes on the VK's, no one noticed the frown appearing on Megara and Hercules faces. There were very few villains on the Isle who were fluent in Greek, and only two possible ways that Mal would achieve fluency. Not to mention that being a polyglot, even with the exposure to different languages, was still rare. Anyone could know bits and pieces of languages, but to be fluent in them?
"That's… impressive, Mal." King Beast said slowly.
"It's not." Mal responded flatly. Between her godly heritage and fae heritage, being good in languages was a given. But to prove a point, she pointed to Jane, who flushed as the attention was directed to her. "I bet she knows quite a few. Fairies are good with languages." The blush forming on the younger girl's face just confirmed what Mal said.
Mal went on to explain how the island had a magical barrier that kept the villains in and other things out, such as magic and wi-fi.
Several of the AK's balked at the idea of no wi-fi, while the four vk's exchanged glances of disbelief. After everything they had just heard, that's what had them horrified? They'd never survive a villain takeover!
"No way out."
"Or so I thought." As the image began to change away from the Isle and to Auradon, Mal assured everyone that they'd be coming back to the Isle, but first something else happened.
The scene changed to Prince Ben, standing in his room and looking out at the Isle while getting his suit tailored.
His parents walked in, with his father acting sentimental over Ben becoming King, and how the Prince was just a baby, and how sixteen was too young to be crowned king.
"If he's just a baby then he shouldn't be ruling a kingdom." Queen Ella whispered to her husband. She was one of the royals who firmly believed that a sixteen year old should not run a kingdom and should instead just enjoy being sixteen. After all, other than in rare situations, none of the current Kings or Queens ruled until they were at least adults. The former Queen Elsa, despite having been eighteen when her parents died, hadn't even been crowned until six months after her twenty-first birthday! And yet here they were coronating a child to be the High King! A sixteen year old kid, still in school, all so King Beast could finally give his wife a honeymoon.
"I know, Dear." Kit responded, squeezing her hand. "But there's nothing we can do except offer Ben our support."
Ella hated that he was right, but she took a calming breath and tried to refrain from glaring at Beast.
"I didn't make a good decision until I was at least 42!"
"You married Belle at 28." King Florian, the husband to Snow White, said with a pained look towards Adam. He loved him, he was his friend, but he could be an idiot sometimes. Judging from Bell's face, the Queen still wasn't happy about that comment, despite it being well over a month ago.
Belle said the same thing as Florian, and Beast made a joke about it being either her or the teapot, which didn't amuse her.
Ben got their conversation onto his first official proclamation. When he told them what it was, both Belle and Beast looked horrified.
"You two didn't know?" Queen Rapunzel asked in surprise.
"You did?" Belle asked back.
"Of course we did," Ella said gently. "Ben had to present his proclamation to the Royal Council before it could be approved."
"And why wasn't I there?" King Beast asked with a growl. Ella turned her eyes to him, unimpressed, and responded coldly.
"As per our laws, the crown heirs of any of the kingdoms must present their first proclamation to the royal council six months before their coronation, and without the current King or Queen present. Ben presented it to us only a few months ago, and with him being crowned this weekend, he was well in his right to do so."
Mal watched the exchange intensely, noting how Queen Ella didn't seem to get along with the High King. The other VK's were doing the same, but before anyone could say anything, the Fates interrupted.
"This is nice and all, but we're on a schedule!" The tall one yelled before the conversation could continue."
"Lachesis is right," Persephone said from her place on the outskirts. "Adam, you can debate this all you want with the others during our breaks, but right now is not the time. So please, be civil and listen to the past."
King Beast didn't look happy, but listened to the goddess, and the screen lit up again.
"Every time I look out to the island, I feel like they've been abandoned."
"Because we have been." Mal said. Ben's heart sank at her words, and all he wanted was to pull her into his arms. But he knew that she would appreciate that right now, so he stayed in his seat next to his parents.
Beast was protesting the children of their sworn enemies coming, and Ben said he would only be starting with a few, ones who really needed their help.
"Then you should have taken the younger kids," Evie said, looking at Ben. "There are so many on those streets. Ben, we were okay. We're older, we know how to survive there. But there are so many little ones who," Evie broke off, blinking furiously, and Carlos put an arm around her.
Ben looked at Mal, who nodded her head, her own eyes dark. His stomach was turning and he made a mental note to ask more about that subject later.
Around the room, other royals were also mulling on Evie's words. Aladdin and Eugene were both remembering their childhoods. The streets weren't friendly, and they didn't want to imagine what the Isle streets were like.
Ben was saying that he already chose them, and Belle grabbed her husband's arm, reminding him that she gave him a second chance.
"We didn't get a first chance!" Mal shouted, standing up and turning to look at the crowd. A lot of people avoided her gaze, including some of the AK's, which infuriated her more. "Lock them up and throw away the key, then don't look back! Who cares if they have kids? It's no longer your problem." She scoffed. "We didn't do anything! All we did was be born."
While many continued to avoid her gaze, shame filling most of their hearts, some did. Queen Leah looked at her without mercy, King Beast's gaze was guarded, but King Eugene and Queen Rapunzel were two who looked at her with sympathy.
"Not all of us wanted you there," King Eugene said, holding eye contact. "But in the end, we were outvoted."
Mal felt her breath catch, but she didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. Why didn't they fight more? But she wouldn't show them any more weakness. Instead, she turned back around and sat down, forcing her eyes to the screen. It wouldn't matter by the end, anyways, not with what they were about to learn.
Ben told his parents who the parents of the children he was bringing over were, and King Beast shouted "Maleficent! She is the worst villain in the land!"
"I'll be sure to tell her that," Mal said with strained false cheerfulness. "She'll love to hear it." 'Even though that title should belong to Claude Frollo instead.' She thought grimly.
Ben and Beast argued, with Beast saying that the villains were guilty of unspeakable crimes.
A couple of squeaking chairs were heard and a moment later Elsie Fitzherbert and her twin brother Reiner dropped down in the seats right behind the VK's. Mal chuckled at Elsie's scowl. "The showing barely started." Mal said.
"I'm already sick." Elsie said, crossing her arms. "Our mother was raised by Mother Gothel, who has kidnapping, child abandonment, child abuse, and multiple counts of murder and attempted murder on her record. Does that mean that our mom should be on the Isle?"
Her words were heard throughout the room, some amazed by what she said. But the teen was right. According to King Beast's logic, Rapunzel should be on the Isle as well. And not only her, Cinderella, Snow White, and Quasimodo were all raised by evil people as well.
Ben managed to convince his father that the children were innocent, and the King and Queen left the room while Ben looked back out his window.
The scene changed to the rundown Isle, and a purple haired girl spray painting.
Multiple gasps were heard around the room as they saw the Isle better.
"What happened?" Jasmine asked, looking from the screen to her husband, who looked just as lost.
While the Isle wasn't supposed to be a paradise, the pollution should have never reached that level. And what happened to the healthy land? Part of the purpose of the island was for the villains to be able to grow their own food and raise animals so Auradon wouldn't have to be the sole provider of resources.
The blood drained from his face. With the villain children and villain shipments, there couldn't be enough food being sent to the Isle. No wonder the children looked so small.
And he wasn't the only one thinking so. Eugene, Phoebus, and Esmerelda were just a few of the ones looking at the screen in outrage as well. Tiana was looking pale, while Merida began to furiously whisper something to her husband, who somehow managed to look both sick and angry.
On screen Mal began to sing about how evil she was, and how that made her glad.
Ben looked over at Mal, not believing that she really believed what she was saying. He had seen the good in her. Anyone who was evil wouldn't have been helping others like she had, they wouldn't have cared about other people like she did.
Jay began singing as well, saying things that others had said about him.
Chad scoffed, "You can't be that feared." He said to Jay.
Jay gave him an unamused look, "I'm the best thief on the Isle." He stated. "That's not a brag, it's a fact."
"That makes him feared." Carlos added. "And it makes him a good asset. Everyone would jump on the chance to have him a part of their gang."
The song continued with both Evie and Carlos singing. Then it changed to Evie and Mal before the four VK's got together and began to sing about being rotten to the core.
"You know, they're not really doing anything evil." Queen Anna whispered to Prince Consort Kristoff as they watched the kids. "They're causing mischief, but they aren't hurting anyone."
Mal started to sing about calling her a schemer and a freak,
"Gladly," Audrey muttered, low enough that her parents couldn't hear her.
then continued on saying that she was just unique.
Jay then had his own line, showing him stealing from a couple villains before switching to Evie, who was blatantly flirting with a guy.
"Do you string along all the boys you get your hands on?" A redheaded girl asked with a glare.
Thankfully, Evie wasn't rattled by her comment. "Dating isn't a thing on the Isle," she said, "It's safer to string them along. As long as you know what you're doing." If you weren't careful, you could end up being taken advantage of. It was a delicate line that few could cross.
"And you do?"
"What do you think?"
Carlos finished the verse, and the VK's met up again, this time a group of them dancing in the street.
"Oh!" Anita Radcliffe gasped and Mal couldn't help but get annoyed by all the interruptions. Yes, the Isle was horrible. That was old news. She'd really like to move on from it. "There are so many of them!"
Mal frowned, looking at her friends before turning to the woman. "What are you talking about?" She asked.
"The kids," Mrs. Radcliffe explained. "There are so many of you."
The VK's shared uneasy looks before Evie stepped in. "What you see there are only a few of the VK's," she said. "Just some in the general area."
While the Aurdonians looked at the screen in horror, Mal couldn't help but wonder how they didn't know. Were they really that ignorant to the Isle? Did they think it wasn't as crowded? It wasn't like there was any birth control on the Isle, at least nothing that effective. There were new children all the time. Even many of the older VK's had children. The biggest issue was surviving to adulthood, not that she was going to say anything about that yet.
The last line played as she looked back at the screen.
"I'm rotten to the core."