Outfits;
QOM and the meeting; from left to right, Audrey normal, Audrey QOM, Mal, and Ben (the only OG design)
*meeting with Mal* Evie, (y/n), Mal.
=
Audrey sat in her room later that night, tears rolling down her face as her grandmother's words echoed in her head 'years of planning, wasted' Audrey ground her teeth at the memory, why had she been burdened with the task of marrying Ben to get the crown? 'Our family status, gone' Why? They were just as royal without Audrey holding the title of 'high queen of Auradon'.
Her parents were still very much in charge of their section of the kingdom, still revered as king and queen, Audrey was still a princess even if Mal possibly married Ben one day. Audrey didn't even know why any of it had come up, but she guessed she would never understand her grandmother's delusions or bitterness against the head royal family. Maybe she would have once upon a time but now? After creating friendships with a good handful of the vks? And finally understanding Ben in a way she never had as his girlfriend, she would never be able to.
Audrey looked down at her diary and slammed it closed, hiding the tear-stained pages and throwing it to the side. She was just so damn tired, of everything.
Of the expectations of her family, of her own brain, of the past years of never-ending stress thanks to her grandmothers constant bitching and nagging at Audrey's "failures"
Audrey took a deep wavering breath and stood from her bed, dusting off her perfectly clean shorts and pacing around her room, at one point she had grabbed one of her gold-plated fire pokers and swung it around as if it was a sword, smiling as she remembered the days when she was young, when Ben and her father would battle fearsome dragons to save Audrey and Aurora from the 'dragons keep' (which was really just a little pillow fort with two stuffed dragons 'guarding' it)
Audrey; I'm so tired of pretending
Where's my happy ending? ♪
Audrey sighed and let her arm fall, the fire poker tight in her grip, tears gathering in her eyes again as the past few months of staying with her Grammy batted at her mind 'you will get Bens hand again or else' 'my granddaughter will not be a failure' 'your mother could hold on to a prince in her sleep' 'you have disappointed me time and time again, first losing the crown prince, then losing your chance when he got back together with that imp!' 'You will get that crown or you will be disowned' all things her parents had no clue Leah had said these things to her, Audrey couldn't bear to try to tell them, she was sure they wouldn't believe her
Audrey; I followed all the rules
I drew inside the lines
I never asked for anything that wasn't mine♪
Audrey's eyes caught onto the photos of her childhood she kept around her room, her lip wobbling as she locked onto the photo of baby her and Ben playing 'royals' Ben placing a crown on Audrey's head when her mother had snapped the photo.
Audrey; I waited patiently for my time
But when it finally came
He called her name
And now I feel this overwhelming pain ♪
She hadn't been in love with Ben for years now, but it still stung, the breakup still stung, the heartbreak she had suffered still stung.
Audrey; I mean it's in my veins
I mean it's in my brain
My thoughts are running in a circle like a toy train
I'm kinda like a perfect picture with a broken frame
I know exactly who to blame ♪
Mal had started it all, the slow descent of Audrey's life had started with the daughter of Maleficent. Mal was to blame for it all...but...Audrey sighed, gripping her head as more tears slipped down her face, but Mal had apologized over and over, and while Mal was to blame for the start, only her grandmother was to blame for the rest.
It wasn't Mal or Audrey's fault she was a conniving bitter bitch who couldn't accept defeat, or see reality.
Audrey; I never thought of myself as mean
I always thought that I'd be the queen ♪
Audrey's mind flashed back to when her parents and grandmother had taken her to the museum of cultural history, leading her to the crown of the queen of Auradon, telling her that she would wear it one day.
Over and over again, throughout her childhood and pre-teens, they filled her mind with the idea of being queen, that it was the most important thing she could do. That she couldn't do a single thing to make them prouder other than becoming queen...well, that's what her grandmother told her.
Audrey; And there's no in-between
'Cause if I can't have that
Then I would be the leader of the dark
And the bad ♪
Audrey felt a sudden tug at the back of her head, and a glowing sphere of green magic escaped her vision as she got the sudden urge to head to the museum. She re-gripped the fire poker in her hands and stormed out of her room, not noticing the two small green eyes watching her from a dark corner of her room.
Audrey; Now there's a devil on my shoulder
Where the angels used to be
And he's calling me the queen♪
Audrey walked through the gates of the still open museum, as it didn't close till 9:30 pm, the guards greeted her warmly and went back to their jobs. She passed by the stationed camera guard, who fell asleep as she passed by, neither noticed the green crackle of magic as the cameras facing the crown room and the room of Evil artifacts turned off.
Audrey pushed open the heavy blue curtains hiding the queen's crown and stepped inside, not noticing a soft green glow on the opposite side of the room.
Audrey; Being nice was my pastime
But I've been hurt for the last time ♪
Audrey gripped the golden fire poker in her hand tightly, climbing up the steps towards the platform on which the crown sat, and felt a strong surge of anger flow through her, this thing...this dumb crown was the reason her life was going to hell.
Audrey; And I won't ever let another person take advantage of me
The anger burns my skin, third-degree ♪
This golden crown covered in sapphires and diamonds was the base of all her problems, it was why her grandmother ragged on her every day, it was why she was a failure.
Audrey; Now my blood's boiling hotter than a fiery sea.
There's nobody getting close to me. They're gonna bow to the Evil Queen ♪
Audrey felt herself lift the fire poker behind her, ready to swing, and her face curled into a snarl as the soft green light behind her flashed brightly.
Audrey; Your nightmare's my dream
Just wait until they fall to my wicked schemes ♪
Audrey swung her arm around and shattered the glass casing surrounding the crown, the golden object clattering to the surface of the stand as it fell off its perches.
Audrey; I never thought of myself as mean
I always thought that I'd be the queen ♪
Audrey gingerly picked up the crown, clenching her jaw as the sapphires reflected under the spotlights above her. She spun around, quickly stepping back down off the platform, and glared down at the crown.
Audrey; And there's no in between
'Cause if I can't have that
Then I would be the leader of the dark
And the bad♪
Audrey glanced behind her towards the curtains that hid the other hallways of the museum, wondering if anybody had heard the glass. But it seemed no one had as she heard no one running to check.
Audrey glanced back down at the crown, gripping it so tightly her knuckles cracked. This crown, the one her grandmother had obsessed over her wearing one day and ruling the kingdom at Ben's side. once it had meant her "destiny" at his side, her devotion to him, her love.
Audrey; Now there's a devil on my shoulder
Where the angels used to be ♪
But now?...Now it was just the symbol of her "failure" of losing the boy that was never hers in the first place. She had long accepted that Mal and Ben were soulmates, true loves. Long accepted that they had dreamed about each other for years, like her parents had. Long accepted that the title of queen of Auradon would never be hers, accepted that her time as being Ben's was over.
But her grandmothers echoing words pained her, they swirled around in her mind, her soul, like a curling thorn. 'All those years, all that planning, wasted, our family status, gone! to the child of our worst enemy, Audrey you were supposed to be his queen! and you let him slip through your fingers'
'Grammy! It's not my fault, and we were never mean to be, Mal is his true love and I can't-' *smack*' She-she had slapped her, hit her...she actually hit her, just because of something that wasn't even her damn fault!
'How dare you talk to me like that! Now I want you to think everything you've done through, and come back to me when you've figured out how to get the king back from that fairy!'
Grandmother...Leah, had been cruel and cold since the coronation, only warm when her parents were around as if she knew she would never see Audrey again if they knew of Leah's treatment of her. Audrey desperately wished she could tell her parents or anyone of Leah's abuse, but she was just so scared, Leah had a lot of power and she could probably get away with everything even if Audrey had proof.
Audrey felt hot angry tears slip down her cheeks as she glared down at the crown, her grandmother wanted this damn crown so bad? Fine, she'd get it. Audrey prepared to toss it onto the ground and smash it with her fire poker. But she would get it in pieces.
Audrey; And he's calling me the queen of mean (calling me, calling me)
The queen of mean (calling me, calling me)
The queen of mean (calling me, calling me) ♪
Audrey stopped as the curtains in front of her flared open, and the green energy was shining brightly from the scepter, a voice calling her name in a sultry tone.
-Audrey~-
No...no it couldn't be...the scepter was-it was supposed to be dormant!
-Audrey~-
Audrey; Something's pulling me
It's so magnetic ♪
Mal and fairy godmother said it was dormant after its master's defeat 3 and a half years ago! Why was it calling her now? When every other time she had seen it, it had been the same dull green gem it had been for three years.
-take it- the voice said, and Audrey felt herself start to move towards the scepter, unable to stop herself as she did. -take it-
Audrey; My body is moving
Unsure where I'm headed ♪
'No!' Audrey thought, stopping herself and twisting around, forcing her body that felt like lead to walk away. 'No I won't! I won't! Im better than this, I don't need you!'
Audrey stopped as it spoke to her again. -take it- the voice said, this time it sounded more forceful, desperate -take it and you will never be humiliated again- A memory played in Audrey's mind, the day Ben had announced his 'love' for Mal, in front of the entire school. She had luckily escaped from having to watch the entire song and dance he had done thanks to (y/n) but...she couldn't escape the pitted looks she got from her classmates, nor the way Ben looked at Mal, it was all so soon after their breakup. Audrey couldn't understand it, she had been humiliated in front of the entire school.
And it had all been Mal's fault. Audrey slowly turned to look at the scepter, its eerie green glow drawing her closer, it almost looked like a clawed hand enticing her to grab it. To just take it and enact revenge against those who had wronged her over and over again.
Audrey; All of my senses have left me defenseless
This darkness around me
Is promising vengeance ♪
Audrey took a step towards it, she could feel her body shake in fear as she thought about the possibilities of taking the dragon's eye 'no-no I shouldn't' Audrey thought weakly, green starting to overtake her vision as she got closer to the scepter.
-take it- the voice chuckled, and she could imagine the sharp grin on its face as its magic began to successfully take control of Audrey's body, and again, Audrey didn't see the small green eyes watching her with anticipation and excitement -take it and you will never be shamed for another's actions again-
She remembered her grandmother scolding her for not keeping Ben on a tight leash, for losing him to Mal. 'i-cant' Audrey's mind was losing its grip and she felt her consciousness begin to leave her, she dropped her fire porker and slowly reached for the scepter.
Audrey; The price that I'm willing to pay is expensive
There's nothing to lose
When you're lonely and friendless ♪
-take it- the voice said, the tone becoming giddy as Audrey's fingers curled around the dark curling wood of the scepter. -and you will never be hurt again, you will never be blamed again, you will be in control, you will get what you deserve-
Audrey; So my only interest is showing this princess
That I am the queen
And my reign will be endless! ♪
Audrey's mind went blank as she grabbed the scepter, the room ignited in a flash of pink and green and Audrey was transformed into something else. Now bathed in dark blues and pinks, she was now a figure of darkness, of evil. Her dark pink lips curled into a cruel smile as her eyes flashed green.
The small green eyes belonging to a tiny black and purple lizard had disappeared with the flash. Maleficent's cackle echoed in Audrey's mind, but she paid no heed, she had work to do.
She released the scepter and looked at the crown once more, lifting it high and placing it on her head in a mock ceremonial crowning.
Audrey; I want what I deserve
I want to rule the world ♪
Audrey grabbed the scepter again, the gem flashing bright pink as she did so, she pulled the scepter out of its holder and held it close, grinning evilly all the while.
Audrey; Sit back and watch them learn
It's finally my turn ♪
Audrey looked down at herself, cackling as she spun around and her new cape flared as she did so. Her pastel pink and blue hair had turned a magenta that bottomed out with a deep blue, her pink top had turned dark blue that was ripped and torn at the edges of her now long hanging sleeves and bottom hem of that bunched below her corset.
Her pants were dark pink and her boots were black with curling golden designs covering the front, her wrists had gold and black-thorn bracelets that clung to her pink sleeves, and her cape was long and torn, covered in black raven feathers.
She was now a queen of evil...a queen of mean.
Audrey; If they want a villain for a queen
I'm gonna be one like they've never seen ♪
She caught herself in the reflection of the dragon's eye, and she cackled again, her simple makeup look had turned sinfully dark, her eyes shadowed with magenta and dark blue, her lips almost red as blood.
Audrey played with the scepter in her hands, cackling with delight, she would finally show Auradon who she was, that she would never be hurt again, she would never be pushed around again. She heard multitudes of guards running towards her, and she finally realized the alarms had gone off when she took the scepter. She turned with a smirk, laughing as they stormed into the room and stopped with wide eyes, they weren't expecting her to be the threat.
She tapped the scepter onto the ground and pink smoke encased the guards, they collapsed to the ground in a heap. Audrey hummed, twisting her wrist to twirl the scepter. Magic was so much easier than she thought it would be~ only a few moments and she had cast a powerful sleeping spell, one not unlike the one her fairy godmothers had cast on her grandfather's kingdom years ago to keep them from panicking.
'Well,' Audrey cackled, starting to walk out of the room where the scepter had been kept 'it won't keep panic down this time~'
Audrey; I'll show them what it means
Now that I am that
I will be the ruler of the dark and the bad ♪
With every step Audrey took down the halls towards the entrance of the museum, glass cases shattered, lights sputtered out and the bulbs broke. Audrey cackled once more, reaching the foyer of the museum and spelling the camera guard as he woke up with a frightening start. He was out like a light in the next moment and Audrey lifted the scepter into the air, and with a flash of green and the crackle of pink lighting, she destroyed the suits of armor on display and the spinning wheel in the middle of the room.
Maleficent's time was over, it was now Audrey's turn.
Audrey; 'Cause the devil's on my shoulder
Where the angels used to be
And he's calling me the queen of mean (calling me, calling me)
The queen of mean (calling me, calling me) ♪
Audrey shattered the doors and gates to the museum as she walked outside and cackled again, the scepter flashing pink as Audrey disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke and flash of lightning.
Audrey; I want what I deserve ♪
-
Early the next morning, so early the sun had only just risen a few minutes ago, Mal and Ben stood across from Adam, Belle, and Fairy Godmother, all three adults looking forlorn.
"I'm sure you know why we're here" Adam started, taking off his glasses and holding them as he looked at Mal and Ben. The two looked at each other and nodded, Mal looked back at Adam and nodded again for him to continue. Adam sighed "as you know, the people are in a panic about Hades, he almost got out" Mal frowned at that.
Early in the night, she had woken up with a pit in her stomach, she felt like something had gone wrong, very very wrong. And the feeling hadn't gone away, even know she stood alert, prepared to defend herself or anybody around her from danger. Ben had noticed it as soon as she arrived, he had asked her what was wrong but she wasn't able to answer as the adults had come into the room to start the meeting.
"Who knows what he could've done if he had escaped?" Fairy Godmother said, fear barely hidden in her brown eyes, no doubt thinking about Jane being hurt at the hands of Hades.
Adam spoke up again, in a stern tone that made Mal grip onto her jacket sleeve. "We can't risk having another villain on the loose."
Mal and Ben looked at each other again, then Mal sighed, closing her eyes "We can't, so we'll up security, bring guards with us to and from the isle on bikes, that way they can stop anybody from trying to get out easily" Ben smiled and nodded, it was a smart move, but his heart sunk when Adam shook his head.
"It's not enough, they could slip out behind the leaving guards. Every time we open the barrier, were exposed to danger, Maleficent, Uma" Ben and Mal frowned at that "Hades!" Ben shook his head defiantly.
"Uma was pardoned and she was just trying to free the children on the isle, like we are doing now. She went about it destructively but her heart was in the right place. We can't stop the program until we get every last one of them off." Ben held his hand up as his father went to speak "I am VERY aware of the danger dad. All too aware, but you really think I'm going to let these children" Ben emphasized the word 'children' making his father step back slightly "rot away on the isle? No, no I'm not doing that. So we will up security and continue choosing and picking up the children of the isle, I don't care what you have to say about it" Adam looked offended.
"I didn't mean-" Ben and Mal frowned, shutting him up.
"You implied it" Mal snapped, taking a deep breath as Ben took her arm. "There is no way we're closing the barrier forever, yes it would be the only way to guarantee Auradon's safety but I won't abandon my people just because we can't handle one big bad. We have more villain kids on our side now to kick his butt, PLUS a girl" Mal gestured away from her to an invisible person "who is immune to all magic! You saw her! She brushed off that, beam thing, and body-slammed him. If anything we have (y/n) as a backup. And besides, we're safe now, we have time to plan for the next pick up to make sure nothing will happen."
Adam sighed, looking to Belle for support but she seemed to agree with Mal and Ben. FG was the same as Belle, she trusted that Mal and Ben knew what they were doing, after all, she had seen them time and time again handle things on their own with little to no help.
Ben groaned a bit as his phone started to ring, he took a step back from Mal and quickly answered the call "Hello?"
"Your majesty, there's been a break-in, at the museum. The queen's crown and Maleficent's scepter have been stolen and multiple things are broken and the night guards are all asleep. We need you and lady Mal here asap to review the situation." Ben let out a numb 'yes' and ended the call, turning to the others as his face drained of all color.
"The queen's crown and-and Maleficent's scepter have been stolen" Mal went even paler at Ben's words. That had been what she woke up at in the middle of the night, her instincts telling her the scepter had been awoken and stolen by someone.
"Uma" Adam laid the blame on the sea witch immediately, but Ben and Mal shook their heads.
"Impossible" Mal muttered, tugging on her hair as she looked out the double doors that faced the ocean "Uma would've never been able to awaken or use the scepter, not without-not without...my mother there to activate it-or me..." Mal whipped out her phone and quickly texted Evie
-check my mom's cage, is she in there!?
It was a few tense moments of waiting but Mal, for once, was so happy that Evie was an early riser as Evie quickly texted her back.
-no
Mal's heart fell to her feet, and she looked up at Ben "My mom isn't in her cage" Mal whispered in horror, tears burning in her eyes at the thought of her mother out there, somehow wielding the scepter again.
"But-how? And why would she take the crown if it is Maleficent who took the scepter?" Ben said in a stressed voice, running his hands through his hair nervously. He looked up at his parents for support, and only saw it in his mother's eyes as she clung to his father, Adam on the other hand looked resigned.
"When-when the people hear this, they will never want to leave their houses-" Belle looked to Ben, fear-induced tears filling her eyes "-what do we tell them?" Belle looked to Mal, who stopped biting her thumbnail to look back at Belle "Mal, what do we do? How do we keep evil out of Auradon?" Mal licked her lips, tugging on her hair again as her eyes glowed green from the major stress suddenly put on her.
"We-well" she stuttered, looking at Ben as he wrapped his arm around her in support. He didn't understand why they looked to her for guidance instead of him, the king, but Mal was one of the most knowledgeable people about evil, she would probably know what to do best "the only way to guarantee their safety, to keep evil from entering Auradon is-is closing the barrier-but that doesn't help with the crown and scepter!" Mal stressed, leaning into Ben's side as stressed tears ran down her cheeks.
Adam sighed, pressing his lips together for a moment, before saying something that made Mal and Ben freeze in horror "if Maleficent isn't defeated by tomorrow morning, we have to close the barrier for good. We have no other choice." Mal gaped, staring wide-eyed at Adam while Belle and FG looked at each other unsure of Adam's decision.
"Why-why would we do that?" Ben asked in a quiet voice, almost glaring at his father "and why do you get to make that decision? Im king, you aren't." Adam looked affront, gaping at Bens retaliation against him "son-"
"Don't 'son' me!" Ben growled, keeping his arms around Mal to ground himself "you always do this, you always make my choices for me, even when I was a kid. I am king now; I get to make the choices for Auradon. Not you, if you didn't want me doing that then you shouldn't have crowned me at sixteen fucking years old" Belle and Adam looked shocked at Ben's choice of words, Mal was too in her head to hear him and FG just looked as if his swearing was normal (he had been hanging around kids who swore with every other word after all)
Adam closed his eyes to compose himself then looked at Ben and Mal "If you can find and defeat Maleficent, and then return the scepter and crown to the museum before the sun rises tomorrow, you can continue the program, if not, the barrier will be closed for good after Maleficent's defeat, for the safety of Auradon and its people." Mal pressed her lips together and she looked up at Ben, who looked so lost.
"...if we don't find them, the necessities program MUST keep going" Mal stated in a stern tone, she wouldn't let the children go back to eating rotten food and having nothing but lumpy everything. They were still people, and the isle was finally livable thanks to the program (y/n) had created only a month after cotillion "we can find a way to get the stuff past the barrier without opening it to the villains inside, but I'll agree to your deal if that program continues" Adam sighed, and nodded. Ben looked at her in shock but he slowly nodded.
This might be the only way to save the isle and Auradon, otherwise, they would be arguing with his father all day and night until Auradon was in ashes. "Fine" Ben muttered, rubbing Mal's back than standing straight, looking his father right in the eye coldly "we agree to your deal. If we can't find and defeat the thief but sunrise tomorrow; the barrier will close for good." Adam nodded, happy that Ben had agreed to, his frankly ridiculous, deal. FG bid them goodbye and left the room, saying she had a party to get ready for.
"Jane's birthday" Mal whispered, watching as Belle left with Adam (not without hugging the two of them first and wishing them good luck) "I had completely forgotten"
"Same" Ben sighed, collapsing in a chair as he held his face "what are we going to do?" Mal crossed her arms, staring down hard at her feet.
"We go to the museum first," Mal said, coming up with a quick plan "see if we can find any clues on where my mother has gone, then we tell Aurora and her family that the scepter has been stolen so they can be on high alert." Ben nodded, freezing as his phone rang again. He pulled it out and gasped as he looked at the caller ID
"it's Aurora" Ben whispered, accepting the call and turning it on speakerphone for Mal to hear "Aurora?"
-Ben!- she sounded hysteric -Ben! My-my mother! Shes-shes been turned to stone!- Mal and Ben stared wide-eyed at each other as she said that -I don't know how but-I went to grab her for morning tea and-she was just standing in the middle of her room as a stone statue! Has something happened?! Is there a loose villain in Auradon?!- Ben winced and looked up at Mal, who closed her eyes.
"Aurora?" Mal started weakly, continuing as she heard the queen's sound of confirmation that she had heard Mal "the scepter has been stolen" it went dead quiet.
-is Audrey safe?- a new voice joined the conversation, and Mal knew it was Phillip. Mal and Ben looked at each other unsure.
"We haven't seen her yet, but we will check up on her as soon as possible" Ben said, standing and nodding towards the door, non-verbally telling Mal to follow. She nodded and kept pace with him as he made his way to the garage. "Just in case, do you have your sword and shield ready?"
-yes- Phillip answered, sounding distracted, possibly comforting Aurora from the sound of her sobbing drifting through the speaker -we'll put everyone on high alert here, stay safe Ben- Ben thanked him and told him the same, ending the conversation and starting the car he and Mal had gotten into during the call and driving towards the Museum.
As they arrived, Mal pressed her lips together as she looked at her phone clock, it was barely even 6 am, Jane's party was at 2 pm, if they were lucky, INSANELY lucky, they could find and defeat her mother before anybody found out about it all and then have time to get to the party...that was if it even was her mother.
She didn't know how her mother could break the spell on her, there was no way she had learned to love more than herself, even after three years, so either she had help...or she found help in someone else.
She remembered some old magic that her mom told her about when she was young and still wanting to be evil. Possession. Using a combination of the hypnotic powers of the dragon's eye and a personality enchantment to overtake the mind and soul that was in the new host.
Mal had a sinking feeling that was exactly what had happened, otherwise, Mal was pretty sure someone would have reported Maleficent walking around in Auradon.
"Mal?" Mal looked up, gasping a bit as she realized they had walked into the museum.
"The spindle" Mal whispered, stepping over the ropes surrounding the now broken object of evil and kneeling to grab a piece of wood "someone destroyed it" Ben nodded, looking around at the scattered pieces of armor that decorated the floor.
"Yeah..." Ben looked up as a guard came towards them "is there anything else missing?"
The guard shook his head "No your majesty, everything but the crown and the scepter is still accounted for, their cases are broken but they are safe." Ben hummed, rubbing his chin before grabbing Mal's hand to lead her to the queen's crown.
"Let us go investigate the crown room, maybe there's something there we can see that you did not, or maybe Mal can track something there" Mal bit the inner side of her right cheek, racking her mind for a tracking spell as they rounded the corner to the pulled curtain that revealed the room of the queens crown, which was missing from its perch.
Ben let Mal entered first, her eyes glowing as she looked for residual magic energy. "No magic energy yet" Mal muttered, feeling frustrated as she realized her mother hadn't been the one to take the crown "Someone without magic took it, and-" Mal paused, staring at the corner of the room behind the pedestal.
It was small, very small, invisible if you weren't Mal. But the magic energy matched her own, vibrant green with sparks that resembled fire. "My mother was here, in lizard form" Mal quickly spoke, speeding over to the corner and looking as the residual energy moved from wall to wall, circling whoever was in the room. "She must've hypnotized someone to take the scepter, but they took the crown before that" Mal blinked and her eyes turned back to their non-glowing emerald green and she looked at the guard "was there anything on the cams?"
The guard shook his head, crossing his arms "No, they all shut off at nine-fifteen on the dot, though there was a green flash before they went dark, your mother's magic?" Mal nodded, had to be.
Mal spun around on her heel as Ben walked into the room, avoiding the shattered glass as he tried to see anything that had been missed. Mal sighed and blinked again, using that same scanning spell to look for residual magic again, she gasped as she finally looked to a curtain on the opposite side of the opening curtain, it was a large cluster of magic, again it was a vibrant green, and Mal could sense it was a portal. Mal waved her hand to reactivate the spell and the curtains split...leading right into the room where the evil artifacts had been kept, including the scepter.
Ben and the guard looked in awe, not expecting Mal to do that, they followed her through and looked around, seeing nothing out of place other than the busted chandelier and the missing scepter. "Mal?" Ben asked, stepping closer to her as she froze, staring at the place the scepter had been. "What's wrong?"
"My mother possessed somebody, to take the scepter, whoever has the scepter is being controlled, they aren't doing anything out of free will, maybe, I don't know," Mal spoke in a rushed tone, panic seeping into her voice "but whoever it is, they are in danger, the longer they hold the scepter the more they'll lose themselves and my mother will have a body again, able to cause chaos all over Auradon" Mal spun on her heel and looked at Ben urgently "We need to find them fast" Ben nodded, the two walking through the portal again with the guard following them.
Ben paused as something shined into his eye and he looked down, surprised to see a golden fire poker lying in between the two rooms, that's why no one had seen it at all, it was within the portal. Ben leaned down and picked it up. It was definitely real gold, meaning the owner of it was rich and or royalty.
"Recognize it at all?" Mal asked, looking at it with glowing green eyes to see if there was any magic left on it...nothing. She blinked again and sighed, so far, they had found nothing other than her mother's involvement.
"Nope" Ben sighed, handing it to the guard who nodded and left to put it into the evidence box in the backroom. "Dead end, damn it..." Mal grabbed into Ben's hand and gave him a reassuring smile "We have to figure this out by tomorrow, but how are we going to do that if there's nothing to go off?"
Mal sighed and shrugged, tugging Ben out of the crowns room and back down the halls, carefully watching as the clean-up crews of the museum cleaned up all the shattered glass that the perpetrator had broken on their way out. "I don't know, but we will, I promise" Mal paused as she looked at the entrance of the museum, she hadn't even realized that the doors weren't there anymore, they had been blasted off along with the metal gate "wow" Mal muttered, frowning as she realized the broken everything weren't bursts of uncontrolled magic, no, they were on purpose, anything that wasn't destroyed was kept that way.
Whoever had the scepter, already had good control over it, because Mal knew from her mother's stories that it took a long time for the enchantments to take hold and properly control the host.
Ben pulled Mal through the doors and down to the car, Mal going to pull at the door but stopped, biting her lip. Ben looked up at her slightly confused and Mal sighed "I need to go tell Evie...and (y/n), they'll be able to help...are we going to broadcast this?" Ben thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Not right now" he mumbled, pulling the car door open as Mal took a couple of steps back to get ready to transform into her dragon form so she could get back home quickly "it would send everybody into a panic, we wait till tomorrow...if they are still an active threat by then we'll tell everyone. But if they panic now that might set off whoever it is, we need to be careful about this. I have meetings to get back to the castle, they should be done by Jane's party but if you could, try to look for any clues with the others, okay? I love you, stay safe" Mal nodded, then smiled.
"I love you too, and okay, I'll see you later Ben, stay safe" Ben nodded and got into the car, waiting until Mal had transformed and flew into the air to drive back to the castle.
-
Almost three hours later, (y/n) had finally arrived with the Smee twins, the boys rushing in to play with Dizzy and Celia as Mal, Evie, and (y/n) talked in Evie's greenhouse turned workplace. Both Evie and (y/n) were already dressed for Jane's party as Mal still wore her meeting outfit, minus the jacket.
"Who else knows about the crown and scepter?" Evie asked, leaning towards Mal as (y/n) leaned back on her sewing table, her face set into a worried frown.
"Other than Aurora, Phillip, Ben's parents, FG, and us" Mal gestured to the three of them "no one, Auroria is on high alert but Ben texted me saying they kept why on the down-low." Mal sighed and crossed her arms "Ben also said we'd tell people tomorrow if we don't find the perp by then but, if we tell everyone now it'll set a panic and possibly set off whoever it is" (y/n) nodded, both a smart and stupid idea but Ben knew what he was doing, and at least he wasn't saying to not tell anyone ever.
"Any idea who's behind it?" (y/n) asked at the same time Evie also asked; "Will this delay us bringing more vks?" Mal answered Evie's question first.
"We're talking about closing the barrier for good" Mal spat out, her eyes glowing green in anger. Evie and (y/n) looked both shocked and angry at that.
"Well, you obviously said no?" Mal froze, staring at Evie as she continued to talk "I mean, the six of us, well eighteen now, are living the dream out here and we finally get to share it. I mean what could be more important than that?" (y/n) nodded along, keeping her eyes on Mal as Mal backed up to sit on the stool behind her.
"Right?" Mal muttered, biting her inner lip as she tried to think of a way to tell Evie and (y/n) about her and Ben's deal with Adam. "...maybe guaranteeing the safety of Auradon? Or peace of mind for everyone in Auradon?" (y/n) scoffed at that while Evie frowned.
"Is that what they're thinking?" Mal sighed, closing her eyes as Evie continued to speak "I mean they really expect us to just-leave those kids there? That no one will go in or out of the isle ever again? And what, the Smee boys or-or Celia never get to see their dads again? I mean we promised they would get to see them whenever they wanted-and the kids on the isle" Evie huffed, slightly out of breath from how fast she had talked "we promised we would get them all off, are we just going to rip their freedom away? Just because of one incident?"
Mal sighed again, rubbing her face as she leaned her elbows on her thighs "I don't know, Ben and I said we would up security but Adam said it wouldn't be enough, that someone could slip out behind a leaving guard" (y/n) sat up at that, and Mal looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"Then just hire guards on the inside," she said easily, smirking as Mal gasped in realization "Harriet's crew for example, hell maybe even Uma's crew. Remember when we picked up Dizzy and the others? Harriet's crew guarded us the whole way until the barrier was closed, we just hire them to guard the inside so no one can do what Hades did ever again. And we pay them too, so it's not free labor" Mal nodded, grinning as she realized this was a great solution to their 2nd biggest problem, her smile dropped a bit as she remembered the deal. She opened her mouth to start telling them but the Smee twins burst into the room, dragging (y/n) out with them as they demanded to play pirates with her.
Mal noticed Carlos, who was still in his PJ's, hanging around outside the door but she ignored that, she didn't mind him overhearing any of this conversation, after all, she was going to tell him and Jay about it all anyway. Evie sighed and stood from her seat, taking Mal's hand with a smile. "I'm so glad you're a part of those conversations Mal, you will stand up for the vks, you will stand up for all of us." Mal pressed her lips together slightly, she had stood up for the vks, but she had also crumbled under the pressure of the deal. "Thank you for telling me" Evie hugged Mal and Mal held her close, closing her eyes, and buried her face into Evie's should for comfort.
She would tell them about the deal later, right now she just needed to calm down, track down the scepter, and go to Jane's birthday party.
Mal laughed slightly as she heard (y/n) tell the Smee twins, Dizzy, and Celia to leave Jane's birthday cake alone, saying something about not taking them to the beach the next weekend.
The four vks shouted out a desperate 'no!' and then they ran off, the older vks that had stayed the night laughing as they did so.
Mal pulled away from Evie and Evie walked into the house to get some last-minute things done. Mal sighed and stood, running up to her room and looking for her makeshift spell book, she had written down all the spells she could remember from her mother's book just in case she ever needed them
And she needed them.
After flipping through the purple notebook, she found the exact spell she was looking for.
-a spell to locate lost things-
The scepter and crown weren't lost, they were stolen, but it would do in a pinch.
Mal enacted the spell and she was off in a flurry of purple smoke out the window, transforming into a dragon again and soaring into the skies as the magic beacon took her throughout Auradon.
-end of p3-
part 3, part 3, part 3!!!!! yeeee, queen of mean, the meeting, and Mals first mistake; NOT TELLING HER FRIENDS ABOUT THE DEAL. yeah that's gonna come back to bite her in the ass. i hope this turned out well and yall liked it, i worked really hard to make Audrey's struggle more...palpable then. "oh im angry over a boy that broke up with me 3 years ago" so now its...well *points up at rewrite* that lol. yeah so Mal didn't want to close the barrier, its a deal with the asshole beast and Mal will do her best to make sure the barrier wont close.