BELLE AND BEAST'S CASTLE - AURADON - NARRATOR'S POV - SIXTEEN YEARS AFTER LAST CHAPTER
Prince Benjamin of Auradon stood on a podium in his room, getting fitted for his coronation suit. He was gazing out the window at the Isle as the royal tailor was taking down measurements on his notepad. The door to Ben's room opened and his parents, King Beast and Queen Belle walked in, their arms linked. "How is it possible you're going to be crowned King next month, you're just a baby!" Beast exclaimed, a smile gracing his face.
"He's turning sixteen dear." His wife reminded him.
"Hey pops." Ben greeted nervously.
"Sixteen, it's far too young to be crowned King," Beast explained, as he took off his glasses and put them in his inside jacket pocket, "I didn't make a good decision until I was...42." He stated. Belle then turned on him.
"Uh, you decided to marry me at 28." She reminded him again.
"Well, it was either you or a teapot." Beast winked at Ben as Belle rolled her eyes. "Kidding."
"Mum, Dad," Ben started, as he tried to get off the podium he was standing on, but the tailor held him back. "I've chosen my first official proclamation." His parents shared a happy yet surprised look. "I've decided, that the children on the Isle Of The Lost be given a chance...to live here in Auradon." He stated. Belle dropped the shirt she was holding with a small squeak, her and Beast's mouths fell open. "Every time I look out to the island I feel like they have been abandoned." He explained, walking off the podium, much to the annoyance of the tailor.
"The children of our sworn enemies, living among us?" Beast clarified, pointing out the window at the Isle.
"We start off with a few at first, only the ones who need our help the most." He said. A look of compassion spread across Belle's face, while Beast's face seemed to set itself in stone. "I've already chosen them." Ben continued with a smile.
"Have you?" Beast asked, stepping towards his son. Belle placed a hand on her husband's shoulder,
"I gave you a second chance." Belle told him. She then turned to Ben, "Who are their parents?" She asked.
"Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Evil Queen, Captain Hook... and Maleficent." The tailor yelped and dropped his notepad.
"MALEFICENT!" Beast roared, "She is the worst villain in the land!"
"Dad, just hear me out here-"
"I won't hear of it." The tailor bowed and quickly exited the room. "They are guilty of unspeakable crimes!"
"Dad, their children are innocent. Don't you think they deserve a shot at a normal life?" Ben asked. "Dad...?"
"I suppose, the children are innocent." Beast replied after a few moments of silence. He started to walk towards the door, wanting to leave. However, he paused at the door, waiting for his wife. Belle walked up to her son and straightened his jacket.
"Well done." She told him gently, prompting a smile to spread across Ben's face. Belle then turned around and approached her husband. "Shall we." Belle took her husband's arm and they walked out of the room. Ben played with his ring as he gazed out at the Isle.
THE ISLE OF THE LOST
On the Isle of the Lost, a gang of five were wreaking havoc across the run-down town. A purple haired girl was spray painting a tag on the wall of an old building, a long-haired beanie-wearing boy was parkouring across the roofs, a blue-haired girl was turning heads as she strutted down the alleyways and a salt-and-pepper haired boy was making stealing things from almost everyone he encountered. The last member of this cohort, a pirate, was the most dangerous of their group.
She was dressed in a short, tailored red Pirate's coat with gold buttons, a slightly poofy black skirt, and a black, tricorn pirate hat with a red bandanna tied around it. This girl's black hair was all over the place, however, some were braided with red, white and yellow beads. Her most defining feature was her leg, her left one specifically which ended just under the knee. She had a makeshift peg leg that she had designed herself, though due to altercations, she continued to limp. Her other foot was encased in a black pirate boot with gold buckles up the side of her calf.
Mal -
They say I'm trouble
They say I'm bad
They say I'm evil
And that makes me glad
Jay -
A dirty no-good
Down to the bone
Your worst nightmare
Can't take me home
Evie -
So I've got some mischief
In my blood
Can you blame me?
I never got no love
Hadley -
Think I'm a sweet thing
Boy you're just wrong
You try to tame me
'Ya won't live long
Carlos -
They think I'm callous
A low-life hood
I feel so useless
Misunderstood
Mal, Hadley and Evie -
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who's the baddest of them all?
Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world
Chorus -
I'm rotten to the core, core
Rotten to the core
I'm rotten to the core, core
Who could ask for more?
I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door
I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the
I'm rotten to the core
Mal -
Call me a schemer
Call me a freak
How can you say that?
I'm just... unique!
Jay -
What, me? A traitor?
Ain't got your back?
Are we not friends?
What's up with that?
Evie -
So I'm a misfits
So I'm a flirts
I broke your heart?
I made you hurt?
Hadley -
You see me coming
You run for cover
You try to speak to me
Try not to blubber
Carlos -
The past is past
Forgive, forget
The truth is...
You ain't seen nothing yet!
Mal, Hadley and Evie -
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who's the baddest of them all?
Welcome to my wicked world, wicked world
Chorus -
I'm rotten to the core, core
Rotten to the core
I'm rotten to the core, core
Who could ask for more?
I'm nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door
I'm rotten to the, I'm rotten to the
I'm rotten to the core
As the song finished, a lady with a baby in a wagon walked by. Mal quickly grabbed the lollipop that the baby was enjoying and showed it off to the group of teens that assembled. Then, just as quickly as the crowd appeared, it vanished, people fleeing in terror. Yes, all the people on the Isle were bad, but Mal's mother was worse,
HADLEY'S POV
I scowled at the people disappearing. Of course, Maleficent is scary but why are five teenagers less scared of her than an entire town of adults? I turned my gaze to the two burly bodyguards that were standing in front of the remaining teens Mal turned on her heel and faced her mother. "Hi mum." She greeted. Maleficent pushed the bodyguards aside, giving Mal a mocking frown.
"Stealing candy, Mal?" Maleficent questioned sarcastically. "I'm so disappointed." I lifted my eyebrow in confusion as Mal offered her mother the lollipop.
"But it's from a baby!" Maleficent smirked, her teeth glinting.
"That's my nasty little girl." She congratulated Mal as she plucked the lollypop from her hand. Maleficent spat on it and put it under her armpit. "Give it back the dreadful creature." She said as she gave it to one of her henchmen.
"Mum..." Mal groaned.
"It's the deets Mal that make the between mean and truly evil. When I was your age, I was, cursing entire kingdoms. You-walk with me." She led Mal away. I ignored the two as I inspected my nails, chipped dark red nail polish coated them, I had to find some more paint soon... "OH, there's news!" Maleficent suddenly exclaimed, walking back in front of the group. Mal jumped in surprise, following her and standing in front of us, "I buried the lead, You five have been chosen to go to a different school, in Auradon!" I turned on my peg and tried to run, but one of the bodyguards that were behind us managed to catch me around the waist and deposit me right back in front of Maleficent. I glared up at him as he forcefully turned me to face the Mistress of All Evil again.
"WHAT!" Mal demanded, looking at her mother like she was crazy, "I'm not going to some boarding school filled to the brim with prissy pink princesses!" Mal told her, a look of disgust etched on her face.
"And perfect Prince's!" Evie gushed, as she stepped up beside Mal. She gave Evie 'the look' which essentially means 'shut up'. "Ugh!" She added in mock disgust.
"Yeah, I don't do uniforms, unless it's leather. Your feelin me?" Jay held up a hand for a high five. I slapped my hand against his and turned to the horned woman in front of us.
"I'm not going to Auradon just to be a pity project." I told her, crossing my arms and leaning on my good leg. "I don't need pity." Carlos found his way around my side to face Maleficent himself.
"I read somewhere that they allow dogs in Auradon, Mum said they're rabid pack animals who eat boys who don't behave..." He trailed off. Jay snuck up behind him and barked in his ear. Carlos jumped back, causing Jay and I to laugh. Carlos slapped Jay's shoulder in anger.
"Yeah, mum we're not going!" Mal told her mother,
"You think it's small pumpkin, it's all about world domination." Maleficent declared. "KNUCKLEHEADS!" She called out to her henchmen as she turned around and walked away. "Mal~" She called out. We followed Mal and her mother towards their home, a dingy apartment that was situated on top of their shop, the Bargain Castle. The room we were all in was almost as bad as everyone else home, key word being almost. As Maleficent was the most terrifying thing on the Island, she had the best of the worst stuff. A large stained glass window stood on one end of the room, thick purple curtains covered the glass to stop as much light from getting in as possible. A rickety old card table sat in the middle of the room with mismatched chairs. An old, barely working fridge stood against one side of the room, while an ancient kitchen set rested on the other side.
Walking into the room itself, my eyes scanned the room itself, noting where everyone was in the room. Maleficent headed up to her makeshift throne and laid across it, filing her nails, Jafar was at the kitchen doing...something, Cruella was caressing the fur on her jacket, the Evil Queen was inspecting herself in the mirror, and the last person of the adults in the room...my father, Captain Hook. The man was sitting in a chair that barely stood on it's own, wearing a faded red coat and battered boots. The feathers in his hat had lost their plume and laid limp on his shoulder. His hook was the most pristine thing about him, always shiny and sharp. His curly hair was flat, and his moustache was wiry and turning grey. Us teenagers gathered around the platform that held Maleficent's throne, watching her.
"You will go, you will find the Fairy Godmother, and you will bring me back her Magic Wand." Maleficent ordered. She paused from filing her nails to blow on them. "Easy peasy."
"What's in it for us?" Mal asked her, uninterested.
"Matching thrones, hers and hers crowns."
"Um, I think she meant, us." Carlos said, waving his hand around to gesture to all five of us. Maleficent threw the nail file and it landed with a small clang behind her. She gestured for Mal to come forward.
"It's all about you and me baby. Do you like watching innocent people suffer?" Maleficent inquired leaning towards Mal.
"Well yeah! I mean who dosn-" Mal started but her mother cut her off.
"Then get me the wand! And you and I could see that and so much more! And with that Wand and my Sceptre, I will be able to bend both good," Maleficent raised her right arm. "And evil," She raised her left arm, "To my will!" She cried.
"Our will?" Evil Queen called from the end of the long table in the middle of the room.
"Our will, our will." Maleficent responded. She clicked her fingers to Mal's attention, "And if you refuse, you're grounded for the rest of your life missy." Mal looked at her with wide eyes.
"What-Mum!" She started to protest. Maleficent then looked directly into Mal's eyes and Mal looked directly into hers. They did this regularly - a staring contest. Mal always lost. "Fine, whatever." My friend conceded.
"I win!" And with that, each of the children dispersed towards their parents. Jay sauntered over to his father, Jafar, the former Grand Vizier of Agrabah who had been reduced to a second-hand store owner, who used his son to stock his shelves. Carlos shuffled over to his mother, Cruella De Vile, who during her years on the isle had gone slightly more insane each year. Evie skipped over to sit with her mother to get her eyebrows plucked or something. Mal had taken a seat on the stairs in front of her mother's throne. I limped over to my father, who had become almost stick-like after being sent here. I fell into the chair next to him, kicking my peg and my leg onto the table in front of us.
"Evie, my little evil-ette in training," Evil Queen called, "You just find yourself a prince with a big castle, and a mother-in-law wing."
"And lots and lots of mirrors!" Evie and her mother gushed together, and Evie started to laugh.
"No laughing, wrinkles!" Evil Queen said. Evie's smile vanished.
"I'd be damned if I let Hadley go to Auradon!" Dad roared, jumping to his feet. "Blast them all to hell!"
"Dad, calm down." I sighed, shrugging my jacket off my arms to reveal a tight crimson bodice that was wrapped around my torso and chest that held up a pirate-like shirt that showed my shoulders. Dad huffed and sat down again, crossing his arms like a petulant child.
"Well, they're not taking my Carlos because I'd miss him too much." Cruella said, stroking her son's cheek.
"Realy Mum?" Carlos asked, hopeful. Wait for it.
"Yes. Who would touch up my roots, fluff my fur and scrape the bunions off my feet!" There it is. Cruella lifted a leg so Carlos could hold it.
"Yeah, maybe a new school wouldn't be the worst..." He suggested, dropping the leg.
"Carlos, they have dogs in Auradon." Cruella reminded him, stroking his cheek again.
"Oh, no, I'm not going!" Carlos shook his head frantically and stepped closer to his mother, as if she would protect him from anything.
"Well Jay isn't going either, I need him to stock the shelves in my store!" Jafar said, "What did you score?" He asked his son. Jay then brought out an assortment of different trinkets he had stolen, the last of which being a lamp. "A Lamp!" Jafar exclaimed, dropping everything he was holding as he started to rub it.
"Dad-Dad, I already tried." Jay told his father, who dropped the lamp.
"Argh." Jafar groaned, tossing the item back to his son as the young thief leaned down to grab the things he dropped.
"Well, Evie's not going anywhere until we get rid of this unibrow." Evil Queen said, as her daughter touched the space between her eyebrows.
"What is wrong with you all?!" Maleficent shouted, "People used to cower at the mention of our names!" She cried, pulling Mal by the arm and pushing her into the chair beside me. "For twenty years I have searched for a way off this island! For twenty years they have robbed us of our revenge. Revenge on Snow White and her horrible little men."
"Ow..." Evil Queen said,
"Revenge on Aladdin and his bloated Genie."
"I will-" Jafar started.
"Revenge on that stupid little boy who cut off your hand and his meddling little girlfriend." Maleficent pointed at my father.
"Pan will pay!" Dad exclaimed, going to stand again, but I grabbed his arm before he could and yanked him back down.
"Revenge on every sneaky Dalmatian that escaped your clutches!" Maleficent pointed at Cruella.
"Oh, but they didn't get Baby." Cruella stroked the stuffed Dalmatian on her jacket, "They didn't get the BABY!" She wheezed. I rolled my eyes.
"And I! Maleficent!" She yelled to get everyone's attention again. "The evilest of them all, I shall finally get my revenge on Sleeping Beauty, and her relentless little prince..." She finished, taking a small mirror out of the Evil Queen's hand. "Villains!"
"Yes?" Jaffar said, with something in his mouth.
"Our day has come. E.Q, give her the magic mirror." Maleficent gave back the mirror and the Evil Queen gave it to her daughter.
"This is your magic mirror?" Evie asked, slightly disappointed.
"Well it ain't what it used to be, then neither are we!" Evil Queen and Maleficent chuckled, "It will help you find things."
"Like a prince!" Evie imagined.
"Like my waistline," The former queen joked.
"Like the magic wand! Hello!" Maleficent exclaimed.
"Hello!" Evil Queen mocked.
"I need my book. My Spell Book. Ah! The safe." Maleficent said, walking over to the fridge. "Queen help me!" Maleficent bat at the fridge door. The Evil Queen stood, rolling her eyes. "I can never figure this thing out..." The Evil Queen walked over to the fridge.
"Voila!" The Queen said sarcastically as she opened up the fridge with ease.
"Come, darling, come." Maleficent beckoned. Mal hurried over as she brought out her Spell Book, it was a simple brown book with a golden dragon embroidered on the front cover. "It doesn't work here but, it will in Auradon." She turned to the Evil Queen. "Remember when we were speeding evil and ruining lives?"
"Like it was yesterday."
"And now you will be making your own memories." She told Mal, as she started to hand her the book, but then she snatched it away, "By doing exactly as I tell you." She smacked the book into Mal's chest. A horn then sounded outside as the Evil Queen closed the fridge door.
"Let's get this party started!" Jay exclaimed. Maleficent pulled Mal aside to the balcony. She opened the doors and stepped through. I stood and turned to my father.
"Now, what's the pirate code?" Dad asked me, putting his hook on my shoulder hard enough so that I could feel it pressing into my skin.
"Mind the curfew. Don't bring a girl home. Stand by my crew unless someone is left behind, then leave them." I recited. Dad smirked.
"That's my lass, now go." Dad let go of my shoulder, and I grabbed my coat. Slipping it on, I made my way downstairs to where our bags were already packed. I strapped my cutlass to my hip, grabbed one handle of my chest and hobbled towards the door, dragging my chest behind me.