Back on the Isle, Maleficent's mood was about as dark as the sky that they were forced to live under. Today was the day that Beast's brat would take the mantle of king and make new decrees that would further ruin their lives. The only bright thing she could think of was the fact that Mal would be seizing the wand today.
Today, her revenge would begin. If her daughter didn't screw it up, that is.
"I've got popcorn!" Jafar's cheerful voice broke through Maleficent's thoughts and she could help but stare blankly at the former genie as he entered the room.
"Where did you get it?" Cruella asked, grabbing a bowl out of Jafar's hands.
"Gaston was hoarding it for today," Jafar responded, a little shaken from the jarring nature of the popcorn bowl being removed from his hand. "I had to give him a discount on his next purchase but he gave me some. I have no idea where he managed to find some, considering the only popcorn that ends up in the Auradon trash is used."
"I hate the fact that we're forced to watch something so trite," the Evil Queen scoffed as she took one of the offered bowls, unbuttered of course. It wouldn't do to have ballooned up the next time Evie saw her. "When I had my crown, it was no televised event. It had class."
"Weren't you crowned before television was invented?" Jafar asked, causing the Evil Queen to lob a handful of popcorn at him. Maleficent rolled her eyes at their antics. There were times when she wondered why she stuck with the three of them. With the exception of the Evil Queen, neither Jafar or Cruella had any power.
Honestly, Cruella disturbed even Maleficent at times. Cursing a baby was all well and good but going after puppies? Even villains needed to have standards. Not to mention, the stuffed dog on her shoulder was not a good look in the slightest.
There were times that she wished that Cruella would join the Hunter clique on the other side of the Isle. Gaston and Clayton would welcome her with open arms; both men barely cared about the animals they coveted unless it was hunting them and turning their pelts into trophies.
"So, what do you think the little brat's first decree as King will be?" Cruella asked, leaning up against the sofa and sneaking a handful of popcorn from Jafar's bowl despite having her own.
"Probably something insipid that will make us gag," the Evil Queen replied, sitting down on the left side of the sofa while Jafar sat down on the right. "After all, Auradon thinks it a good idea to make a sixteen year old king. Bah."
"Weren't you about nineteen when you became queen of your land?" Jafar asked but the Evil Queen ignored the question. Maleficent sighed but sat down between the Evil Queen and Jafar. It was time for the coronation to proceed.
"Bah, is that who I think it is?" Evil Queen asked, staring at the image of her step-daughter. "How did she get the job? She has less brains in her head than Evie."
"Probably used the experience she gained being down on her knees around you," Cruella snarked. Maleficent rolled her eyes.
"We can do without the uncouth comments," the Mistress of Evil commented, sharing a glance with the Evil Queen. Cruella scoffed but grew quiet as Maleficent turned the volume up on the television.
"At last, here we are, broadcasting live from the coronation where Prince Benjamin will soon be crowned king!" The Snow White on the television stated, unaware of the glare coming from her step mother. "I'm Snow White, bringing you up to the second coverage of who's the fairest of them all."
"I'm Snow White," the Evil Queen mocked as she threw popcorn at the television, while the others shot her a look. They grew tired of her ranting about Snow White after all this time. That's not to say they wouldn't continue to rant about their respective heroes. "Who are you kidding? She's definitely had work done."
"Why must you waste the popcorn?" Jafar sighed but no one seemed to hear him as the television continued the coverage.
"Oh look, that must be Sleeping Beauty's brat," Maleficent commented, pointing at Audrey. "Leah's genes seem to be prevalent in that family."
"And that blond idiot seems to be Cinderella's child, judging by the state of dress though something that standard, he could be anyone's child," Cruella pointed out, as the camera panned over to Chad. "But that can't possibly be Fairy Godmother's child walking past? After all, she's an old bat as you said Maleficent. The child is clearly not that."
"Maybe the child favors the father," Jafar threw out. "After all, we all know it takes two to tango."
"Oh Fairy Godmother is looking radiant!" Snow White stated as the camera cut back to her and bringing the villains' attention back to the ceremony. " Jane certainly seems to have taken after her mother as she is looking stunning! And there's Fairy Godmother's wand!"
Maleficent's hands curled into fists as Fairy Godmother uncovered the bell jar with the wand underneath it.
"Oh, I want that wand!" Maleficent exclaimed, unknowingly getting closer to the television.
"Do you? Hadn't heard," Cruella quipped. "Also, do you mind moving back to the sofa? Some of us can't see past your horns."
Maleficent glared at the other woman but moved back to her spot on the sofa as the coronation coverage continued.
"Oh, and here comes Ben now!" Snow White announced as a shot of Ben's carriage could be seen on the television.
"Who's that riding with him?" Jafar asked. "All I can see is a bit of purple."
"Might be one of the daughters of those insipid mermaids from Atlantica," Cruella told him. "I think one of them used to wear purple."
Maleficent shared a glance with the Evil Queen as the four of them watched the carriage procession continue to make its way to the cathedral. Maleficent was honestly close to leaving the room until the carriage stopped and the prince got out. Maleficent focused on who Beast's brat was holding his hand out to.
"Well, if it isn't..."
"My daughter," Maleficent finished the Evil Queen's sentence, shocked at Mal's appearance. Never in her wildest dreams did she think her daughter would be able to fool a prince well enough to be his plus one to his own coronation—or that she would be caught dead wearing a dress like the one seen on the television. "Looking like some kind of—"
"Princess!" The Snow White on the television finished Maleficent's line, earning a glare from the Mistress of Evil. "Now let's see who this beauty is wearing! Oh, Evie! Of course!"
"Evie! That's my dau....Evie!" The Evil Queen exclaimed, ignoring the fact that Snow White seemed to know her daughter well enough not to be shocked that Evie would make Mal's dress.
"Oh wow, she sewed a dress," Maleficent said, getting up and standing next to the Evil Queen, who had moved to be next to the television in her shock and exuberance. "Meanwhile, my girl duped a prince and she is this close to grabbing the magic wand!"
"Bitter, party of one. Bitter, party of one!" The Evil Queen taunted as Maleficent turned away from her to face the other villains.
"It's happening people! It's happening! I say, gird your loins. Gird your loins! Villains, or revenge begins today!"
"And you're confident that Mal will grab the wand?" Jafar asked, looking like he would rather think of anything other than Maleficent's loins. "Seeing as the most evil thing she did while on the Isle was steal candy from a baby, I find it hard to believe."
"Hush," Maleficent told him as the camera showed the inside of the cathedral. While it was an overhead shot, there was one glimpse of blue that stood out from the reds, yellows, browns and blacks. It was near the door, almost at the back but it was vibrant enough to draw Maleficent's attention.
No, that little brat is still on the Isle. Maleficent thought while rage filled her veins like ice. It has to be Evil Queen's daughter. Her hair is blue, right?
"Queenie, that bit of blue? That's not your daughter is it?"
The Evil Queen took a look and shook her head as the camera panned back over the crowd. "Hair's too light to be Evie. Maybe she's inspired a trend!"
Without a response, Maleficent got up and grabbed her scepter, much to the shock of the other villains.
"Where are you going?" Cruella asked but Maleficent did not answer. Instead she stormed out, the path laid out in front of her. It was the last thing she wanted to do but she knew she needed to speak to her ex-husband.
After all, if his little brat could get off the Isle then maybe she didn't need to rely on Mal after all. Someone had been kind enough to provide a way off this hellscape and yet did not have the courtesy to inform the other villains. Her way to Hades' lair was unencumbered by the rest of the residents of the Isle. Maleficent had to assume they were all inside, watching the coronation as well.
Better for them that they left her alone. She wouldn't be responsible for what happened to them if they prevented her from reaching Hades.
Before she knew it, she was at the doorway to Hades' lair. Strolling inside as if she owned the place, Maleficent made her way deeper and deeper before coming across a teenaged boy. The boy seemed to be listening to some kind of music on what looked to be repaired headphones, judging by the extensive amount of duct tape.
"You!" Maleficent barked, causing the boy to jump; the headphones falling off his head and on to the floor. "Where's Hades?"
The boy didn't answer, but stared at her in shock, brushing his brown bangs out of his face as if trying to see her better. If Maleficent was the mothering type, she might have felt bad for the youth, what with the bags under his eyes and the baggy dark green hoodie.
"What, are you mute? Or do you think you're too good to answer a question directed by your betters?" Maleficent demanded, causing the boy's eyes to widen and he seemed to shake slightly. Maleficent made to raise her scepter as her eyes began to glow green. Both she and the boy knew she couldn't use it but it didn't change the fact that she could definitely use it as a threat.
"Maleficent!" Hades barked, coming from around the corner. "Stand down!"
"Ah, just the God I wanted to see," Maleficent said, turning to face her former paramour and relaxing her grip on her scepter; not noticing the slight look of relief on the boy's face. Hades walked closer and Maleficent could see the old leather vest he wore was slightly wrinkled; as if he had been woken up from a nap while wearing it. "But you clearly need new assistants. The old ones at least talked. Rambled in fear more like but at least words came from their mouths."
"Panic's searching the Isle on my orders and his son's here to stay out of trouble," Hades told her, giving a small nod to the boy who took it as a sign to scurry away. "What are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you said to stay as far away from you and Mal as possible. I've done just that, so I don't know what's caused this visit. Unless you're just here to yell at people you haven't yelled at today?"
"Well see, I was watching the coronation of Prince Ben as I'm sure you were and noticed that you seemed to have misplaced something,"
"What are you playing at?" Hades asked as he walked into the room, brushing past his ex-wife. "I know where everything is. Including my daughter who you so helpfully sent to Auradon. Thank you for informing me of that, by the way. It certainly wasn't a shock to see my daughter in the same carriage as the crowned prince when I knew she was supposed to be on the Isle with the rest of us, simply because she was born to you rather than being born to someone like Sleeping Beauty."
"Where's your son, Hades?" Maleficent asked as she ignored his quip about Mal, causing Hades to freeze. Maleficent smirked, knowing she had struck a nerve. "Isn't it just like you Gods, misplacing your children? First Zeus and now you? Say what you want about Poseidon, at least your brother never lost his children."
"You have a point, I trust?" Hades growled and Maleficent knew that if it was possible, Hades would have made his hair light up in flame. Mentioning his brothers was a surefire way to get under his skin. "Or are you here to make vague threats about my son?"
"Your...wife," Maleficent sneered. "The woman you spent four years pretending didn't exist. She spends six months on the Isle and six months off, at least that's what my minions tell me, unless you're just particularly good at hiding her. How does she get off the Isle when her time is up?"
"Why should I tell you?" Hades asked, his eyes narrowing with distrust. "If Hadie is off the Isle, then he's with Persephone. His mother. Who I trust will bring him back when she comes for her six months. Now, get out. The last thing anyone needs is you with all your power."
Maleficent paused, unused to being denied. However, she wasn't stupid. She had heard what Hades said, about how he had confirmed that Persephone had a way to get on and off the Isle. She knew she had only a limited amount of time before Auradon's guard would go back up. "I'm really sorry about this."
"About what?" Hades asked before being met with a scepter to the head and falling backwards.
"Oh, wait. No I'm not," Maleficent smirked and stepped over the unconscious body of the God. Knowing she had a limited amount of time before Hades recovered and would more than likely be pissed, Maleficent searched the room for a way off the Isle. Unfortunately, she quickly realized that she wouldn't know a way off if she did find it.
"Well I certainly wouldn't be looking in that room to your left," a young boy, slightly older than the previous youth, said as he walked into the room. "That is, if I was looking for a way off the Isle."
Maleficent looked at the youth and went over to the room he directed, knowing Dr. Facilier's ward would know better than to lie to her. True to form, there was a sign on the door to the room that anyone not fluent in Greek would not understand.
However, Maleficent had been married to Hades for about four years and therefore had had time to grow accustomed to Greek. She knew what a keep out sign looked like.
"What do you want?" Maleficent turned and faced the youth. No one did anything for others on the Isle without wanting something for themselves.
The yellow clad teen smirked as he leaned up against the cave wall, the smirk stretching the scale like scars on his face and causing his brunette hair to fall into his face as his bowler hat tilted to cover one of his yellow eyes. "All I ask is that you enjoy your time in Auradon, your excellency. It's rare that one of us will get our time in the sun without the permission of the Auradon elite."
At least one of these kids can respect their elders, Maleficent thought as she gave the child a brief nod and entered the room. At first, it appeared as if the room was empty. There was no furniture and no sign that someone could escape the barren wasteland they called home.
Maleficent gave an internal sigh and turned to leave. It seemed that the youth had been lying after all—she would have to punish him when Mal retrieved the wand.
However, a slight breeze on the back of her neck caused her to pause. Turning back into the room, it was still empty. Yet, Maleficent knew that there was something in the room. Bending down, she picked up some of the dirt that was on the floor.
Tossing it into the room, Maleficent watched as it was blown to the right, never touching the left side of the room.
"Interesting," Maleficent said, walking toward the left side of the room; her scepter out in front of her as protection. While it was basically useless on the Isle, it was still something she could use rather than rely on brute strength.
Her hand barely brushing the wall, Maleficent began to walk around the left side of the room. As nothing appeared, she grew more and more impatient. She was almost ready to take Hades and throw him in this room.
She, however, was distracted by the image of her scepter apparently going through the wall rather than touching the wall as it was supposed to.
"Well, it looks like you have some tricks up your toga," Maleficent muttered while a small smirk formed on her face. "It would have to be your brother's handiwork—your magic doesn't work on the Isle after all."
Walking through the portal, Maleficent had to blink as the sun graced her face for the first time in twenty years. A shiver went down her spine as her access to her magic returned and the top of her scepter lit up. She looked around and saw that she seemed to be in a section of the town—not a section that had been televised but it was safe to assume that it was close to the coronation.
"I think it's time that I go say hello to my daughter," Maleficent smirked. It was shaping up to be a good day after all.