Giovanna's Perspective
It was almost cute how Ben really believed she could ever be a fairy godmother. Then again, Gio did have a talent for making boys believe anything she said. But she needed to hurry. Maddie had stolen keys to the side entrances in the present and Gio just so happened to possess them.
She sheparded Ben into a janitor's closet. Gio leaned in close and whispered to him, "I'm a more hands-on kind of fairy godmother. I want to keep you safe, Prince Ben."
Ben stood, holding the dagger as if it were poisoned. Poisoned knife hilt would be a good idea. "What do you mean?"
"I'll be back Ben," she said. "I'm going to put some protection spells around all the special objects here. If the villains come, I'll scream and you'll save me, right? You'll come protect me?"
Ben nodded resolutely, his expression turning steely. "You have my word."
Gio gave him a warm hug, which felt disgusting because people carry germs everywhere. But what must be done must be done. She closed Ben away and turned around. It was easy to evade the guards as she crossed a short hall and came to the room she knew had what she needed.
The Hall of Helpers. On one side of the room, a statue of Fairy Godmother sat on a stone bench, wand in hand and smiling warmly. On the other, a mosaic of the Genie dominated the entire wall. And before it sat the lamp. Gio eyed the wand and took off for it. She barely made it three steps, though, before she bumped into...something.
She fell to the ground and looked up. Shen glared down at her, throwing a card on the ground. Gio glanced to the side and saw Maddie phase into existence, dropping a card to the ground as well. Finally, Reggie materialized and all three cards returned to sit between his fingers.
"Hey, G." Shen ground out. "Miss us?"
Of course, Gio thought. She stayed on the ground and schooled a sad expression onto her face. The tears came almost instantly. "I've felt so bad about what I did." Her voice broke. "I feel all this pressure to be like my mom and do what needs to be done to win, but-"
"Shut up." Maddie said. She rolled her eyes. "I mean, seriously, you showed your true colors and-"
"I can't be as confident as you are, Mads," Gio said. "I act like I have it all together all the time...and it's just so...it's so hard. And now I did something awful to the boy I love and I regret it-"
"No you don't," Shen said coldly. "Maddie's right, you're a liar. Everything you say is a lie."
Gio got a dangerous idea. She stopped the crying, adopting a callous expression. She stood gracefully, posture tall and stiff.
"Finally," she said coolly. "It was starting to get boring acting all moony over you, Biceps. You're so desperate for anyone to compliment you it was too easy."
Shen's eyes flashed angrily, but Maddie put a hand on his shoulder. "She's just bait-"
"Shut up and use that clay mask I bought you, Mads, you look disgusting." Gio said cruelly, before continuing with her assault. She turned back to Shen. "Your daddy doesn't tell you he's proud of you enou-actually ever, so you'll believe anything I say if I act like you're not completely pathetic. Props to me for doing the impossible."
Shen grabbed her shoulders roughly and she laughed at him. "You lying littl-"
"I hope you don't try to kiss me, you suck at it." Gio grinned when she saw the hurt in his eyes. "I have seven other boyfriends, you know. Pat Stabbington, Zevon, Guston, Evan East, Maddox Mim, Hadley, and..." Shen still had her in a death grip so she couldn't turn much, but she still managed to look at Reggie, "and my favorite one, Reggie Hart."
Reggie turned ghostly pale. Shen let Gio go, turning to him and advancing. "That-tha-I wouldn-please believe..." He took a step back for each word he spoke and Maddie stepped in front of him.
Gio backed away and went for the kill. "Did you really think we were only making potions in the tower? We were making out behind your back for months. His tongue is way talented, you could learn a thing or ten, Shen."
Shen pushed Maddie aside and lunged for Reggie. Too easy, Gio thought as she turned for the wand.
Maddie's Perspective
Shen tackled Reggie to the ground and grabbed his neck. The cards Reggie'd held fell to the ground. Maddie knew there was no way she'd be able to throw Shen off. So she kicked a card closer to Reggie's hand.
"Just when I thought I could trust you," Shen yelled. Reggie felt the card and touched it, an upside down black lotus flower appearing on it. "You were lying the whole t-" He stuck the card to Shen and the words died away. Shen fell to the side, a smile appearing on his face as his limbs went slack. "It's not that nada lotta big big dealio, Reggie-Os and X and Os." Shen said dreamily before singing about Reggie-Os cereal.
Maddie helped Reggie to his feet and Reggie grabbed another card. "What was that one?"
"Spade of Serenity, he feels quite loopy at the moment." Reggie said. Maddie saw Giovanna reaching for the wand and threw a hair pin. Gio yelped, pulling her hand back and glaring at Maddie.
"We kinda need him." Maddie said, kneeling by Shen. "Can I tell him why you're not with Gio?" Reggie blanched but nodded. Maddie threw her second hair pin and Gio cursed. "Less serene please."
"On it," Reggie said, joining her by Shen. He placed a card with a chain on Shen's chest and removed the lotus flower card. Shen's eyes became alert and he glared at Reggie, visibly straining in an attempt to get to him.
"Reggie hasn't even touched Gio, she's manipulating you cause you're a jealous idiot," Maddie said. "Reggie is with Wes. That's why she keeps taunting him about his witchy muse, you just didn't pay attention to it."
Shen's eyes softened and he tried to turn his face to Reggie. "Really?" Reggie nodded and Shen sighed. "I am an idiot. I'm sorry."
Maddie pulled the card off Shen and he vaulted to his feet. They all stood. Because apparently their tussle wasn't easy to ignore. Six guards ran into the room.
"I can take them," Shen said, his experience with The General's battle plans talking. "Reggie, give me cover, then go for Gio. Maddie, go high and get the jump on Gio."
"Alright," Reggie said. He pulled a card and red mist spouted from it, providing cover for Shen to swoop in.
Mal's Perspective
Mal slithered through the museum and saw...what could possibly be described as chaos. Red fog everywhere, but she slithered past it quickly despite noting there was a fight going on.
It was hard to recognize her surroundings from so low on the ground but she could smell Gio's jasmine perfume close to her. When it got closer, she let go of the transformation, the spell falling as she grew to human size again.
She stood and Gio bumped into her, the wand in hand. "Fancy bumping into you here," Mal said, not budging at all.
Gio backed away, smiling. "I knew I'd see you here, traitor."
"Not gonna work, Gio." Mal said, eyes flashing green. Lightning began crackling between her fingers. "Give me the wand, you can't win."
Gio grinned. "You're just jealous of me," she said, tossing her hair back. "I'm closer to breaking the barrier down than you ever got. I bet you're just mad you're such a failure and you wanna try to stop me from doing what you couldn't." She stepped closer and whispered. "Didn't your mom say you didn't deserve to inherit her full name. She knew you'd be a soft, pathetic, dissa-ah!"
Mal tackled her. Her claws grew from her hands and the skin on her arms turned scaly. Gio's face shone with green light from Mal's eyes. Giovanna looked panicked and scared, eyes wide as saucers. "Who was pathetic, again?" Mal asked with a smirk.
"BEN HELP!" Gio called. Her eyes looked frantic and she began to cry. Why would she...? Mal wondered. "The dragon is too strong!"
"What are you talking about?" Mal demanded. Then she heard someone running behind her and turned around to see..."Ben?"
"Leave my fairy godmother alone," Ben yelled, brandishing a dagger. "Get back, Maleficent."
"No," Mal said, her hands returning to normal and the glow leaving her eyes. "That's not-"
"Please," Gio cried. She literally cried those crocodile tears. "Please stop her, Prince Ben. You're the only-"
"Shut up!" Mal yelled. "You lying snake, this is low even for-"
Mal dodged to the side as Ben swiped at her with the dagger. She rolled off of Gio and hopped to her feet. Gio snuck her a smile before crying again, "I'm so scared, Ben."
"It'll be okay," Ben said, giving her a shaky smile. "The guards are stopping the other villains."
Gio picked up the wand from the ground, brandishing it confidently as she pulled off the wig and wig cap. "Maybe I can help with that."
Maddie's Perspective
Maddie was balanced on the beams higher toward the ceiling. She saw Shen brawling with the museum guards. She saw Mal trying to speak to Ben while he brandished a dagger at her. She saw Reggie fumbling with cards. And she saw Gio waving Fairy Godmother's wand. But none of them saw Maddie.
"Bippity boppity boo." Gio used the spell and Mal turned to ice. Literally, she became a purple-tinged ice sculpture.
Gio kept repeating the spell. Reggie, a red ice sculpture. Shen, a golden one, Ben a blue one, the guards all becoming an icy rainbow of colors.
She looked around warily. But she didn't look up. "Maaaads?" She turned to the lamp. "I'm going to leave soon, bestie. You coming?"
Maddie crouched down low and made herself as small as possible, creeping low toward the lamp. When Gio got close enough, Maddie dropped down. She fell from the beam right onto Gio, sending both of them sprawling on the ground.
Maddie kicked Gio's hand and the wand rolled away. Geo swiped at Maddie with her nails and Maddie backed away.
"Come on," Gio taunted. "You haven't tried out the compulsion potion yet. Have a try." She swiped at Maddie again and Maddie rolled away.
She took out her last pin and jabbed at Gio. Gothel's daughter leaned away and got to her feet. Maddie tried to sweep her legs out from under her, but Giovanna swiped down with those red nails and Maddie pulled her legs back.
She backed away, kicking at Gio's hands when she kept at the swiping. "Disgusting, do you know where your feet have been?" Gio complained.
"Then back off, you basic psycho." Maddie spat. She backed away a bit more and her fingers brushed against the wand. Now she had an idea. Reaching up, she grabbed a lockpick from her jacket and threw it. It flew to Gio's right side and she batted it away. Maddie backed away and grabbed the wand with her right hand while Gio's eyes were focused on Maddie's left side. She tucked it behind her back and held still.
"You're an expert on the subject of basic," Gio stepped closer. "You know I've never been-"
"Bippity boppity boo." Maddie said, reaching forward with the hand that held the wand and pointing it at Gio. Gold light shone as the sandy dust flew to surround her.
When it faded, Maddie giggled. It was exactly what she'd imagined. Gio had turned into a plastic Cindie doll. She even had the curly hair and the blue dress and heels. Maddie picked it up with a smile.
"Fake and plastic," Maddie said. "Perfect look, bestie."
She turned to Reggie and Shen. Reggie a frozen red ice sculpture in the middle of throwing a card. Shen, golden and grappling with a guard. Maddie used a spell and the two of them transformed back to normal. The card continued flying, straight at one of the guards who were petrified in ice. The statue was absorbed by the card, becoming a Six of Icemen.
Shen and Reggie looked around frantically before their eyes landed on Maddie with the wand and everyone encased in ice.
"Over already?" Shen asked, grinning. He held out a hand and Maddie gave him a high five. "How selfish, Maddie."
"I, for one, thank you for ending things." Reggie said. "How did you-"
"Explanations later." Maddie held up the wand. Then she used the spell and golden dust turned all the entrances to the room into brick walls. "The question we need to focus on first is what we do?"
"What do you mean?" Reggie asked, putting his cards away.
"I get it," Shen smiled. "Do we go the villain route and head back to the present to break down the barrier and become the greatest villains of all time?"
"Or the hero route and start a new life in Auradon." Reggie said. "As our own people, not just our parents' children."
"I always wondered what The General would say if I could help free us. But he'd probably just shrug and ask what took so long. I can't say I'll miss that, but I could go either way," Shen shrugged. "You have the wand, Medusa. What do you think?"
Maddie considered for a while before saying, "I think you were right, Reggie. I do need to make a big decision. And you were right about me not ever doing anything but what my mom wanted." She glanced away. "I think that's why I don't let myself care about anything. She had a way of making me so scared to mess up in any way that I stuck to what was familiar. It's infuriating."
"I understand that," Reggie said. "Have you ever had to paint a bathtub red?"
"Can't say I have," Maddie said. "But I have been locked out of my house until I got a sapphire ring my mom wanted."
"Hey, that's kiddy stuff," Shen said, shivering. "I ran drills all night at the top of Chernobog Mountain with no jacket. All to prove my discipline."
"Maybe Auradon isn't so bad, then." Maddie said.
"Maybe it isn't." Shen agreed.
"Couldn't agree more," Reggie said, blushing slightly.
"So, we wake the dragon queen and undo Gio's stupid wish?" Shen asked.
"Where is Gio?" Reggie looked around for her.
Madeline held up Cindie Doll Gio and Shen and Reggie laughed.
"I loved those commercials," Reggie said excitedly. He adopted a high-pitched voice and lost his accent, "'you're my fairy godmother. Give me the right outfit and I can be anything!'"
"You're not so bad, Medusa." Shen punched her arm.
"Hey," Maddie said. "I'm giving the two of you permission to call me bestie. Now let's wake up Mal."