Audrey and Jane walked out of the dressing rooms, the two dressed in robes with their hair tied back in ponytails. The two best friends spent the whole day together, and were now about to get their hair at a salon in Auroria. It was Audrey's favorite salons and the one that frequently visited the most, which is why she decided to come here with Jane. She had already called ahead to tell the salon what they would like done. The princess had even rented out the entire building and made sure that no one was there except for her two favorite stylists.
Adurey took a year off from school to go on a spa vacation with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. However, she was still doing school work during vacation since her parents wanted to keep her on track. After the vacation, Adurey returned to Auradon Prep and was able to graduate with the rest of her class. She now majors in political science at the best college in Auroria, and is taking classes during the current summer semester.
"You didn't have to do all of this, you know," Jane said with a smile.
"Jane, honey, you're one of my best friends. And I'm going to spoil you for your big day," Audrey replied, taking a seat in the salon chair and leaning back. "Besides, I need this time too. It's been tough these past few years."
Jane sat down beside Audrey, the stylists beginning to wash their hair. "I mean, a lot happened that took some getting used to but I wouldn't say that it's been that bad."
"It's more than bad, it's been the worst years of my life. Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?"
Jane already knew where her best friend was going with this and that there would be no stopping her once she got started. "Audrey-"
"I was Ben's girlfriend on the fast track to becoming his wife and queen."
"Audrey, you're the sole heir to the kingdom of Auroria. You're going to be queen some day," The fairy pointed out.
"I'll be a queen, Jane, not the queen," The princess pointed out. "My life was set, okay. Everything my family ever wanted for me." Audrey then sighed dreamily as she thought of the beautiful boy that used to be her boyfriend. "Still dreamy. Until a little thing called Mal dropped in and ruined everything."
"But didn't you tell me that you weren't sure if you felt that Ben was the one for you?" Jane asked, the stylists wrapping towels around their heads as soon as they were finished washing their hair.
"I was ready to put my feelings aside to do my duty," Audrey stated firmly as avocado face masks were applied to their skin.
"To do your duty or to live up to your family's expectations?"
"You're not a royal, you wouldn't get it," The Aurorian princess mumbled, not wanting to get into this argument with Jane again. Jane always told Audrey that her family were too harsh and unreasonable, and that she shouldn't put up with how they were treating her. But as Jane also stated earlier, Audrey was the sole heir to the throne of the kingdom of Auroria. Her duty wasn't something that she could run from unless she wanted to be the reason why her dynasty ceased to exist. So, Audrey put aside how she felt about family as they were the best ones to prepare her for her future life as queen.
"Whatever," Jane muttered while rolling her eyes. She relaxed in her chair as cucumbers were placed over her and Audrey's eyes. "Besides, Mal and the others only showed up because of a proclamation that Ben made. They wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."
"I tried to warn Ben about bringing VKs over from the Isle of the Lost. I tried to warn everybody, but nobody listened to me. They even cheered when Ben told Mal he loved her in front of the entire school when we were still together."
Jane grimaced at the memory, "Okay, yeah, that was a terrible move on his part."
Audrey scoffed, taking off the cucumbers to look at her friend. "I still think that she cast a love spell on Ben. But I told myself, "Audrey, if that's what Ben wants, then you don't really want to be with him." So, I started dating Chad Charming."
"What was with that, by the way? I mean, Chad? Really?"
Audrey shrugged, "I have to stick with royalty. Makes communication so much easier."
"I suppose so," Jane replied, their nails beginning to get done.
"Grammy saw through the VKs, too. And of course, we were totally right. Turns out Mal, Helena, Jay, Carlos and Evie were all working for Maleficent the whole time." Just the thought was enough for Audrey to roll her eyes. "Ugh!"
"Wait a minute, that's not fair," Jane said, the face masks coming off. The two girls were then guided to stools nearby, so they could sit while they got their nails done.
"Of course, it wasn't fair. The VKs are going to bring down the barrier and let all the evil out. Destroy Auradon!"
"It's not like they had much of a choice."
"How hard is it to say no?"
"It's easy for us to say. We know about the villains, we never had to grow up with them or deal with them. And it wasn't just their parents, the entire island was depending on them."
"Whatever. And you want to know the worst part? Seeing Mal up there in that coronation carriage instead of me," Audrey recalled bitterly. "By the way, I wouldn't have stolen the wand and threatened everyone with it. Just saying."
"I did the same thing, too."
"That wasn't your fault. Mal and Helena manipulated you into taking your mother's wand, so they could steal it from you," Audrey rebuffed, Jane staying quiet as she knew her friend was right. "So, what happens next? Maleficent shows up with that crazy scepter and turns into a dragon in the middle of the cathedral." She then scoffed lightly, "Have they no shame?"
"I don't think villains really care about where they cause destruction."
"The VKs did the right thing in the end by standing up to Maleficent. Mal even turned her mother into a lizard. And I did behave myself. I'm still a princess."
"And then we had that huge dance party," Jane said, adding a happier note to their trip down memory lane. "And I think I remember seeing you dance."
"Duh-sies. I am an amazing dancer."
"Man, I never realized how much drama there was that year," The fairy said, thinking back to the year the VKs first showed up.
"Exactly and I needed a break. So, my fairy godmothers whisked me away to their cottage in the forest for a little R&R. I love nature." She then looked at her nails and frowned, "More sparkles." Audrey sighed as her nail technician continued to work on her nails, "I'm glad I stayed away because that's when things got really crazy."
Jane huffed, "I'll say."
"Hm. Mal and Helena couldn't handle the pressures of being princesses and heroes."
"That was also partly Ben's fault," Jane intervened as she sat down to get her hair dried as Audrey began to get hers dyed. "He expected Mal to automatically be acclimatized to the royal life right off the bat, despite the fact she isn't a royal or even raised in Auradon. And not just any royal, the girlfriend to the king that could possibly become the next queen."
The daughter of Sleeping Beauty laughed lightly, "It's my fault. I made being adored by everyone look so easy."
Despite how narcissistic it sounded, Audrey was right. She was a born princess, both figuratively and literally. She knew how to talk with the other dignitaries and royalty, what to do during the various social events, and how to deal with the press. She was a natural when it came to being under the spotlight and the people loved her. It was a strong contrast to Mal, who hated being in the limelight and always seemed to be making mistakes. The media constantly compared the two girls and the public moments of their relationships with Ben, which was often the topic of intense debate. The people always seemed to be talking about which girl they preferred with the king and thought would be a better fit for becoming the Queen of Auradon.
"And poor little Princess Helena. She wasn't ready for her relationship to be everywhere and for everyone to make it their business," Audrey said as she feigned sadness, remembering all the articles that she read online about Helena and Carlos.
"She wasn't raised to be a princess, she just is one. And how do you handle political relations with the Underworld?"
"Doesn't matter. She has a title and that's all the press cares about, especially since she's an Olympian. You know how the gods are like, unforthcoming and moving in silence. But Hades and Persephone's daughter could give everyone an insight into the very secretive and exclusive circle."
"I never thought about it like that," Jane muttered, admitting that Audrey had a point.
"But then Helena attacked members of the press and left her boyfriend in the dust. They were clearly cracking under pressure, and couldn't handle life here at all. But what happened next? Helena disappeared and the bridge to the Isle was opened. Apparently, Ben and the VKs went on a special, top-secret mission to the island to improve relations between the Isle and Auradon. But none of the other kingdoms knew about it and still know nothing about that mission 'til this day because it's classified."
"Well, they had a good reason to keep it secret. You know how people around here feel about the Isle of the Lost," Jane replied.
"But the other kingdoms had a right to know. It's the United States of Auradon for a reason. And what about Carlos, huh? His girlfriend, who is also one of his best friends, up and disappeared without so much as an explanation. So much for commitment!"
"It was a rough time for him," The daughter of Fairy Godmother mumbled, remembering how Carlos struggled with Helena gone.
"And when we do finally see the bridge open again, still no Helena. Something was up with the VKs, but they shut themselves in. Everyone refused to talk about it," The daughter of Sleeping Beauty exclaimed, still angry about the way the other kingdoms were shut out of this Isle mission. "I even heard a rumor that they threatened a postal worker, so they could send secret letters to the Isle. So much for no more evil, right?"
"It's just a rumor, Audrey. It's probably one of those crazy journalists that make things up about them because they don't like the idea of villain kids in Auradon."
Jane and Doug were the only people, outside of those originally involved, that knew the true nature of the events leading up to the Cotillion. Doug had a long talk with Evie before the Cotillion in which he struggled to wrap his head around everything that happened. After talking with the others, Hector and Helena sat down with Jane some time after the Cotillion and told her the truth. The two were also warned that they were forbidden from ever revealing the truth to anyone as the Olympians wrapped everything up or else they would intervene.
"You're right, those VKs do have some enemies here in Auradon. Though Mal's worst enemy might be herself." The princess laughed as she remembered the dreadful picture she saw of Mal's hair, "She got bangs. I guess that's what happens when your stylist is a bratty villain kid."
"At least they're gone now, so that's a plus," Jane said lowly, not wanting to discuss what she thought of Mal's previous hairstyle.
"But what happens next? Mal and her squad rope Hector into their mess. And suddenly, the people who are supposed to be your friends are shutting you out."
"Hades suddenly summoned his daughter home for reasons they didn't know at the time, and they went from seeing her everyday to not seeing her at all. It was just a lot for them to deal with, especially with how close they are."
Audrey continued on with the story, not bothering to address Jane's defense of the VKs. "That brings us to the Seaside Celebration, a party that Queen Ariel and King Eric graciously hosted in honor of the Cotillion. But who shows up and is having a casual conversation with Mal? Hades, the Lord of the Underworld."
"No one was expecting him, that's for sure," says the fairy, remembering the night she saw the Lord of the Dead.
"And then Hades turns into some fiery monster right then and there, and starts throwing fireballs and making a huge mess. Then he says that he's looking for Mal, Jay, Evie and Carlos, and wants them to come with him to the Underworld. And for some reason, Hector is standing with them."
"Yeah, he was."
"Didn't it scare you? Seeing the guy you were crushing on willing to go to the Underworld?" Audrey asked softly, looking at her friend behind her in the mirror.
She knew of Jane's longtime crush on the demigod and did what she could to help her out. And the princess was ecstatic when Jane told her that she and Hector were officially dating.
Jane nodded, her voice low as her hair began to get styled. "Of course, I was scared for Hector. I didn't know what was going to happen, no one did... But he's also the liaison to Mount Olympus, that's his job. He had to go with them to give the gods on Olympus an account of what happened down there."
"But how did he know that nothing would've happened to him?"
"Hector's the son of Hercules and one of Zeus' favorite grandchildren. The only way he would be harmed is if he did something that angered or disrespected Hades."
"So, Hector had a get-out-of-jail-free card, but no one else." Audrey got frustrated when she saw Jane nod her head, confirming her words. "So why did Ben want to go with them? I mean, the High King of Auradon was about to go to the Underworld, where God knows what would've happened to him."
Audrey remembered watching the Seaside Celebration on TV. She originally refused to watch the event that was being broadcasted across Auradon as it would've contradicted her relaxing vacation. But when Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather came rushing into her room talking about that very same event, she knew something was wrong. But as Audrey turned to Auradon News Network to watch the live broadcast of the Seaside Celebration, never did she expect to see Hades there. He was terrorizing the party-goers as he looked for Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos, so he could bring them back to the Underworld.
And worse yet, Ben was willing to go with them. Quite frankly, Audrey didn't care about the VKs going there. Helena was in the Underworld, so she would be looking out for her friends. And if Hector wanted to go, then that was his business. But Ben's the King of Auradon, something which he clearly forgot at that moment. Audrey felt her heart drop when she saw Ben run towards the fiery portal taking the VKs and Hector to the Underworld. And she later let out the biggest sigh of relief when Hades the portal disappeared before Ben had gone to the world beneath their own.
The Underworld was an extremely difficult place to get to, and only Hades and Persephone have control in that domain. There was no telling what would've happened to him down there if he actually made it to the portal in time. And Auradon would've descended into chaos as they would've been without their king and uncertain if they would've ever gotten him back.
"Oh, I agree with you. It was very stupid of him to want to go to the Underworld," Jane said, agreeing wholeheartedly with Audrey. "But Hector said that Hades would've never allowed him to go through the portal to begin with. Hades only wanted Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos, and understood that he had to allow Hector to come along. But he knew the serious problems that would've occurred with Ben going, so Hades would've never let him through."
"And Ben knew how much damage he could've caused by going, and still chose to go."
"Well, Ben wasn't thinking about what could've happened, he was more concerned about what was happening. And he was just worried for his friends and he wanted to help them."
"The concerns of four people do not outweigh that of the kingdom!" Audrey exclaimed, Jane clearly taken aback by her outburst. The princess let out a small sigh and then tried to explain the situation as calmly as she could, "Ben's the king of Auradon. He can't make those types of decisions. And he's a royal, it's something he's been taught since birth. But ever since he started hanging around those VKs, it's like all of the royal training and protocols went out the window."
The king wasn't thinking straight at all, and Audrey blamed the VKs for that. Ever since they showed up in Auradon, Ben began to turn into someone that she didn't recognize. And that day of the Seaside Celebration, he was about the stupidest decision of his life because he cared more for the VKs than his safety, security, well-being of his kingdom and people.
"Hold on, Audrey. Hades wanted Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos, and those four only. Hector had special permission to come along. No one asked Ben to come along. That was his choice, not theirs. Ben's the only one responsible for his decisions, good or bad," Jane pointed out.
"But it still makes no sense to me. All those signs to stay away from the VKs that are right in front of him, and he still chooses to go back to them."
"That's his choice, too."
"Something happened with those VKs, something bad," Audrey said, trying to put what little pieces she had together. "Hades' been down in the Underworld, doing whatever it is that he does and minding his own business. But then he summons Helena's home and demands that her best friends go down there as well... I'm convinced that those VKs did something that pissed Hades off that caused him to act like that."
Jane glanced down at her hands, knowing fully well that Audrey was onto something. "We'll never know."
"Did Hector ever talk about it?" questioned the daughter of Sleeping Beauty.
"No, he isn't allowed to. It's strictly forbidden for him to discuss any talks on Mount Olympus, the Underworld or any of the gods' domain without those that have expressed, written consent from the Olympian Counsel," replied the daughter of Fairy Godmother, reciting the rules that Hector had said to her before. "It's the same way you can't talk about any of the official meetings in Auroria unless it's with someone that you have permission to do so."
"Point taken," The Aurorian princess said before returning to the story. "So, at this point all of Auradon is on high alert and fearing another attack from Hades. They're trying to communicate with Olympus, find out what the hell is going on, and figure out how to properly defend themselves from a god. But it's radio silence from Olympus and it only causes the people to panic even more."
"I remember that. Mom went from one meeting to the next after the Seaside Celebration to talk about what she could do to protect the kingdom. But the last thing the kings and queens wanted to hear was that she wouldn't be able to do anything against a god," Jane recalled.
"Mom and Dad even came to visit us in the cottage. They wanted to see if Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather could help secure the kingdom, but they made themselves clear that there was very little they could do. Their magic would be overpowered by that of a god, especially one of the Big Three." Audrey then grimaced, "Mom wasn't happy to hear that. I can only imagine what Grammy's reaction was like."
"Well, they are gods. Who knows what they're able to do?"
"But then days go by and suddenly everything's fine again. Hector and the VKs are all back in Auradon, including Helena. And Hermes gives a press conference basically saying that everything's fine and we never had any reason to worry. We should go back to our normal lives and pretend like nothing happened." The princess then rolled her eyes, "No way I was going to Cotillion after all of that. And it's a good thing I didn't because it only got worse from there. And I was supposed to be presented as the king's lady, not Mal, some lizard's daughter. I didn't watch it, but I heard it was awful."
"It was certainly eventful."
"Because of another uninvited guest. Uma, daughter of Ursula and possibly the only girl in the world that hates Mal more than I do. She shows up and takes a page out of Mal's spell book literally by casting a love spell on Ben like Mal did."
"Because she, you know, wants to take down the barrier and needs the wand to do so," Jane added, the two girls moving to sit at another station as they got a pedicure.
Audrey shook her head disappointingly, "Villain kids are so obsessed with easy power. Like you can just grab something magic and become queen."
"And take down the barrier, which was Uma's goal. She doesn't really care for Ben or being queen, she was just using him to get what she wants because he's the king," The fairy reminded her friend.
"But Uma's spell was no match for Mal. What's with Ben's thing for bad girls? Ugh!" Audrey exclaimed, clearly disgusted at Ben's newfound taste in girls. "Anyways, Uma became a giant squid, and Mal channeled her mother and turned into a dragon. They started fighting and Helena got herself involved... for some reason. While Hector is using all of his strength, figuratively and literally, to make sure that the yacht doesn't flip over."
"Helena had to get involved. Uma's strong, a lot more than she realized at the time. So, you fight fire with fire and now with Helena, it was Olympian against Olympian," Jane explained.
"I forgot that Helena, Uma, and Hector are all related," Audrey said before wincing, "That's one messy family."
The daughter of Fairy Godmother leaned back in her chair, happy that it was all in the past. "It's a miracle that no one got seriously hurt that day."
"Well, no one got hurt but Helena fell overboard, and those three ugly flying banshees came up from the Underworld to bring her back to the ship. Helena called them off before they could barbecue Uma."
"And it's a good thing she did too. Uma's also Poseidon's granddaughter and he wouldn't have been happy if Hades' lieutenants went after her."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But in the end, Uma swam away and, of course, Mal turned up smelling like a rose. And what happened next? More dancing, celebrating, and they all lived happily ever after. The end."
Jane chuckled, "We just avoided being thrown into the ocean. We deserved to celebrate that night."
"Which all started because of those VKs. All the trouble in the kingdom is because of them, it's their fault. Everything was perfect around here until they showed up. How am I the only one that sees how dangerous these villains are?"
"They also saved the day, you know. They're the ones that fought against Maleficent and Uma."
"Uma was able to come to Auradon because of Helena. Uma said so herself that Helena brought her here. So, that means that Helena was on the island at some point during the time that she was supposedly in the Underworld."
Jane looked away, knowing that Audrey was right but unable to explain what really happened. "It's in the past, it's better that it stays there."
"But it's not quite over, is it? Uma is still out there somewhere and is going to strike again someday. But no matter how much trouble those VKs cause, Ben loves them and everyone thinks that they saved the day," Audrey stated angrily, the foil wraps now being taken out of her hair.
Jane, on the other hand, was finished with her makeover. She stood up from the chair and walked towards the full length mirror in the corner. Her hair was now washed and styled just the way she liked it. Her hair was curled with a side part in her head, part of her hair rested on one shoulder while the rest laid on her back. She twirled around in her off the shoulder baby blue dress with pink bow tied around her waist, liking the way everything looked together. She looked and felt great, and she wasn't going to let Audrey's bitterness about past events affect her mood.
The fairy sighed as she continued to check her appearance in the mirror, "I wish you didn't hate them so much sometimes. They're really not that bad."
The princess scoffed, "Of course you would say that. Helena's your boyfriend's cousin and she's the one that helped you with your magic."
Audrey had her own challenges as a royal in Auradon. But life also had its challenges for Jane and it often came in the form of magic. For as long as she could remember, Fairy Godmother stressed the importance of hard work, perseverance, and education. Jane always wondered what it would feel like to use her magic, but was too scared to ever find out. Magic was heavily restricted in Auradon with only special permission given to those the Crown deemed fit to use it. Jane always disagreed with this, but kept her opinions to herself as it was her own mother that was the one of the main figureheads of the magic restriction.
But then Ben allowed five villain kids to come to Auradon, and it changed Jane's life forever. After forgiving Mal and Helena for what they did to her in hopes of getting the wand, the three girls got to talking about the events surrounding Ben's coronation. Jane admitted her shock at seeing Mal and Helena using their magic. It made her feel both jealous and ashamed of being the daughter of the Fairy Godmother and not knowing a single thing about how to control her magic.
So, the three girls came to an agreement. In secret, Helena and Mal would teach Jane how to control her powers to the best of their ability. Mal's help was enlisted as though she might be a dark fairy, she was still a fairy nonetheless. The daughter of Maleficent was one of the best people to reference for fairy magic other than Fairy Godmother, whose help Jane refused due her stance on magic. The magic lessons went quite well until they eventually came to a stop as preparations had to be made for the Royal Cotillion.
"We can agree to disagree. Besides, there were problems in Auradon before the VKs showed up. Them coming here only brought those problems that were repeatedly buried to the surface," Jane reminded her.
"Speaking of problems, how's your academy?"
"It's doing great, actually. I mean, there were a few problems but it's nothing I can't handle. And I might be getting more students next year, which I'm really excited about."
After graduating, Jane remained close with Helena. The good fairy never forgot how much Helena did for her. She was one of the first people to be accepting of magic and went out of her way to teach other students to control their powers, despite how different their magic was from hers. Inspired by this, Jane launched her private academy called Deviance Academy. It was an after school program dedicated to teaching young people about magic, covering everything from its history, various types, proper usage, and training.
The name was something Jane chose as she realized just how magic went against the norm in Auradon, despite the fact that magic played a major role in all of the stories of Auradon's famed heroes and heroines. The daughter of the Fairy Godmother knew firsthand the damage could be done by improper education and training about magic. And she also knew how it felt to be ashamed that you weren't "normal" like your peers and have to hide in the shadows in fear of being caught one day. Jane wanted to teach the next generation that having magic wasn't a bad thing. They had no control over whether or not they had magic, but they could learn how to control their magic. They no longer had to hide or conform, or feel as if they had to. They could embrace what made them different and be in an environment where it was safe to do so.
However, Jane's academy was met with huge amounts of backlash even before it opened and still is to this day. The public was divided on their opinion of the academy, and the topic of whether or not it should be opened caused heated debates. Auradon had strict laws on magic that limited its practice to a select group of people that had approval from the Crown and they were only allowed to use their magic under certain circumstances. As only a limited group of people were able to use their magical abilities, magic was essentially retired in Auradon and technology was encouraged. All of this created and upheld the anti-magic view that a lot of Auradonians have. However, there was no denying that it was the magic of Mal, Helena, Fairy Godmother, and Hector that kept Maleficent and later Uma from wreaking havoc on Auradon. And if they never practiced it before, they would've never known how to use or control their powers. Thus, Auradon as they all knew it would've been destroyed if it weren't for them using their magic.
Seeing the division among the mortals, the Olympians had Hermes hold a press conference. He told the world that they saw and supported Jane's vision of the academy, and were actively looking forward to its opening. It was an unprecedented move as the Olympians never voiced their opinions to the mortal world. And it became clear the academy was going to open one way or the other.
So, Ben, Mal, Helena, Jane, and Hector worked together to amend the magic laws to allow the academy to even be opened in the first place. The High Council allowed the academy to be opened in what was essentially a test run. The academy, however, would be strictly monitored to ensure that none of the students were using their newfound knowledge and skills to do harm. In return, the students would be free to practice their magic on the academy's grounds so long as they were enrolled.
But after overcoming many obstacles, Deviance Academy opened its doors. The number of students were small, but Jane considered it to be a great start. The Olympian support had gone a long way as many of the students enrolled after seeing the gods voice their support. Hecate, the Goddess of Magic, supplied various books and materials to help the staff teach the students on the various forms of magic that the students would have. The twin torches associated with Hecate even became the academy's symbol. Overall, the academy was small but it was growing slowly as people began to let magic flow in Auradon once again.
Audrey watched how Jane's face lit up when talking about her academy, and chuckled halfheartedly. "That's great."
Ever since Audrey took her spa vacation, she and Jane grew apart. When Audrey returned to Auradon Prep to finish her last year, the two were able to rekindle their friendship but it wasn't the same anymore. There was an obvious distance between them. And that distance only grew when the Aurorian princess learned of Jane's plans to open Auradon's first magic academy.
The backlash of Deviance Academy was widespread across Auradon. Many royals, nobles, and other prominent figures hated the idea and did everything in their power to shut it down. Some of those royals were Audrey's very own family, who hated magic as it only brought back terrible memories of Maleficent's curse.
Now, Audrey and Jane, along with their families, have known each other for years. Everyone in Auradon knew that neither Fairy Godmother or her daughter were evil. Fairy Godmother only ever used her magic when necessary and when she did, it was to help others. But Audrey also knew the story of her mother, father and Maleficent. And she knew the terrible effects that the Mistress of All Evil and her magic caused on Auroria, its people, and its royal family that were still felt to this day. And having more people in Auradon practicing magic made her, as well as her family, uneasy.
As the heir to the Aurorian throne, Audrey was forbidden to attend the academy's grand opening, and had to decline the personal invitation given to her by Jane. In fact, the princess was attending an event in Auroria the same day as the opening. That event was also the first time that Audrey stepped back into the limelight since going on her spa vacation with her fairy godmothers. And it also caused major headlines due to its "coincidental clash" with the opening of Deviance Academy.
The daughters of Sleeping Beauty and Fairy Godmother remained friends but at a distance. Audrey wasn't allowed to publicly support Jane's academy or even go anywhere near the building. They were allowed to hang out with each other, but mostly did so in private. And when they were together, they hardly talked about the academy that Jane worked so hard to launch.
"I mean, I'm still struggling with a lot of things but I don't regret it. I love my students and I love that the academy's allowing them to feel like normal people instead of some freak show," Jane stated proudly. She laughed,
Audrey tried to hide the pain that arose with a forced laugh. "That's really great."
Jane and Audrey were still best friends, but their relationship wasn't the same as it once was. They weren't as close as they once were, and Jane was now closer to Mal, Helena, Carlos, Jay and Evie. The VKs were the ones now at fairy's side instead of Audrey, and Jane seemed to be a lot happier with them. It was another thing that Audrey had lost to the VKs and she couldn't stand it. They had taken so much from Audrey already and were still continuing to take from her to the point that Audrey was questioning what she would have left.
"Now, I want to see your new hair. Come on, you've been talking about it for weeks," said Jane, the change of subject welcomed.
"I needed a change," said the Aurorian princess. "It's time for me to make my royal entrance."
Once all of the foils were unwrapped, Audrey took off the cape and walked over to the full-length mirror to see how she looked. Her hair was now blonde with pink and blue streaks. She wore a pink leather dress, which was a modern recreation of her mother's iconic dress. It was a whole new Audrey, something that would certainly grab major headlines.
"You look great," Jane said happily.
The Aurorian princess twirled, pleased with her new look. "Ben's gonna be sorry that's ever let this go."
Jane's smile then faltered as she realized why Audrey wanted to change her look entirely. "I think it's a good thing that you and Ben are no longer together. I agree that the way Ben went about it was absolutely wrong, but I don't think it's a bad thing you guys broke up. You guys were only together because of your families and politics, but that's it."
"I cared for him," Audrey said sharply.
"But you didn't love him," The fairy countered. "And I wish you could just let him go."
The princess scoffed lightly, "It's not like he gave me much of a choice. And he didn't even have the courage to break up with me or at the very least talk to me like a decent human being before proclaiming his love for another girl. But it's been two years and I'm tired of holding onto someone that clearly doesn't want me."
"So what are you still holding onto?"
"Believe me, I want to let him go but it's just... he's everywhere. I can hardly go anywhere without seeing his face or hearing his name. And every time that I do, he's with her... And Grammy, Mom, Dad, the press... they all love reminding me that I should be the one up there with him instead of her."
"Audrey-"
The princess watched herself in the mirror, holding her head up high. "But I can't hide in the forest forever. But I also can't forget the way he hurt me. He's gonna pay for what he did, they all are."
⊙°⊙°⊙°⊙°⊙°⊙°⊙°⊙
Mal was asleep in her room in the royal palace of Auradon. She had spent the later half of her day decorating Jane's birthday cake with her best friends before returning home. The sun had long since set in Auradon and Mal was in her bed sleeping. But mind was restless, her chest was heaving as she twisted and turned in her bed.
In her dream, Mal was walking through a forest. She didn't know which one it was. She was dressed in her VK clothes that she wore when she went back to the Isle two years ago, her hair even back to its previous style. She looked around for someone, anyone to help her or tell her where she was. But there was no one there and it looked like there wasn't anyone or anything around for miles.
Or so, she thought.
A burst of blue light pierced through the darkness, Mal having to cover her eyes with her arm as its brightness blinded her momentarily. The light then dimmed but the dark fairy could still see the light shining in the distance. Seeing as she had no better options, Mal decided to go to the source of the light in hopes that it would lead to someone
The leaves crunched under the dark fairy's feet as she walked forward slowly. The VK kept her guard up instinctively as she looked around for anyone or anything that might be lurking in the shadows.
Pushing past the vines in front of her, Mal was greeted with the source of the light. Various blue lights were floating in the secluded area of the forest. But the brightest light, the one that Mal felt drawn to, seemed to be floating on a stone podium straight ahead of her. Swallowing her fear, the daughter of the Mistress of All Evil continued to move forward until she was directly in front of the podium.
"Mal..." The light said in a whispery voice. It then let out a bright burst that caused the dark fairy to reflexively jump back.
But Mal recognized the voice. It was one that the daughter of Maleficent hadn't heard in years, and one that she thought she would never hear again. "Dad?"
The voice of her father chuckled, "It's time, Mal. It's time for you to find me."
But Mal didn't understand what was happening. How did this light have the voice of her father? What was she doing out in the woods? Why was she dressed in her Isle clothes? And why did he want her to find her?
"W-What? I don't understand, what's-" Mal began, having hundreds of questions that she wanted answers to. But her father's voice interrupted her before she could ask any more. There was only so much time that they had together, and he needed her to stay focused.
"Find me, Mal, and all will be revealed... Find me."