[✔︎] 𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 ✫ POST-DESCENDANTS ONE ³

EIGHT

Mal and Gigi trudged through the forest with their class, trying to walk through the forest in their heels.

It was painful really but nobody could complain.

Their teacher Aurora, pointed out the flowers they should avoid at all cost for they were poisonous and could kill you if ingested or give you a skin rash.

Neither seemed appealing.

But they were so pretty. How could a flower so beautiful kill you?

"This is the Maleficent flower." Aurora said with a shudder. "Named by the Evil Fairy herself. It resembles a purple dragon and could kill you if touched."

"It's so pretty." Mal whispered to Gigi, as Aurora glanced back at her.

"What was that Mal?" Aurora said. "Do you have something you would like to share with the class or are you and Gigi going to talk in my class like you always do."

It was pretty clear that Aurora didn't like Mal for reasons Mal and Gigi found rather dumb. Just because she was the daughter of Maleficent didn't mean she had to hate her.

Mal had saved Auradon from her mother. If that didn't prove herself to Aurora than nothing would.

"Nothing." Mal said, kicking a rock as they walked past.

"I thought so." Aurora said triumphantly. "Now will I be hearing anything else from you?"

"No." Mal said, softly gritting her teeth together.

"Good." Aurora said, as she continued leading them through the forest.

Maybe she had a justification for her hatred of Mal. Mal had stolen her daughter's boyfriend and it didn't help that it was because of a love spell that later revealed they actually had feelings for each other and that they were each other's true loves.

Mal had taken something her daughter had had.

Audrey had been raised away from it all because her mother had wanted her to never experience the magic and horrors she had faced.

Then the VKs showed up and changed Aurora's plans.

Audrey had been exposed to all sorts of magic that had come with the daughter of Maleficent, the daughter of her mother's sworn enemy coming to Auradon.

Magic that had been outlawed for years had become customary when Mal came.

In Aurora's eyes it was all Mal's fault and Gigi didn't like that.

Ben and Audrey had never had a real relationship. She'd seen it on the TV. She'd compared it to the other couples they feaitured but what Ben and Audrey had seemed forced.

Audrey had just been using him to get to the throne. Aurora has helped her make it that far.

To have crushed by Mal and Ben's unexpected romance.

It didn't make Gigi feel bad for her. Aurora could put the past in the past and move forward like her mother had. Queen Leah had accepted Mal and it was time for Aurora to do the same.

Gigi remembered when Mal and Ben were touring Auradon ahead of the Royal Cotillion. How tense it had been between Mal and the Royal family of Auroria.

No wonder Audrey was vacationing with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. She was avoiding letting it sink in that Mal would be the future queen of Auradon.

Audrey had once again been stood up by the daughter of Maleficent and she didn't want to see her be the ruler of Auradon.

A title she had wanted for so long.

A title she had worked for.

A title she had fought for.

Before having it torn down by Mal herself.

It bothered Audrey that Mal had bested her and her mother was here to let that sink in when her daughter wasn't present.

"Gigi." Aurora said, causing all the students to come to a stop and look at Gigi. "What did I just say?"

Gigi looked at her blankly, blinking in surprise as she saw her in front of her.

"What is it that I just said?" Aurora said a smirk gracing her lips. For a second, Gigi wondered how anyone had ever thought Aurora was nice. This Aurora seemed exactly like her daughter.

Twenty years could change a person.

Perhaps it was the lack of Maleficent in her life. Maybe all of Auradon missed their villainous counterparts but were too prideful to admit it.

Auradon had been boring before the VKs had come across the water.

"I-I don't know." Gigi said, snapping out of her thoughts and staring up at Aurora whose smirk had not disappeared.

"What type of flower is this Gigi?" Aurora said, holding up a flower Gigi had heard about all her life.

The flower given to Rapunzel's mother before she was born. The flower that gave Rapunzel her magical hair. The flower that kept her mother, er, Mother Gothel young for so long.

Gigi reaches out and took it in her own hand as Aurora watched her in confusion not expecting that sort of reaction.

"It's the healing flower." Gigi said.

"Who did it heal?" Aurora asked, knowing how awkward it was for Gigi to talk about her supposed mother's heroic counterpart.

"It helped Rapunzel's Mother before she had her. Because she was really sick." Gigi said.

"What did it do to Rapunzel?" Aurora asked.

"The flower..it gave Rapunzel magical hair that could bring youth to people that were old hags." Gigi said. "Like Mother Gothel. Like you."

Aurora's mouth dropped as her mouth opened and closed like a fish, not knowing what to say.

The students in her class started laughing hysterically, holding their sides as Aurora still couldn't formulate a sentence.

"Good one G." Mal said, breaking her silence as she tried to contain her laughter.

Aurora was visibly fuming. Her teeth grit together as her eye twitched and she glared at Gigi.

"To King Ben's office now." Aurora said.

"Why-?" Gigi began as Aurora interrupted her.

"Now." Aurora said, glaring at Gigi. "Maybe he'll send you back to where you belong."

"If you haven't heard." Chad said, speaking up. "Gigi isn't from the Isle. She's actually from here and was kidnapped when she was younger."

"I don't care." Aurora said. "She was raised to be a villain. That's what she is. I don't care who her mother really is."

The words stung as tears brimmed in Gigi's eyes as she bolted out of the forest, hearing the calls of Chad and Mal telling her to stop.