It was the first Snow Festival for every child that had lived on the other side of the barrier and the Auradonians were excited to share the Christmas spirit with those that had the unfortunate chance to not know what the holidays were and what they were about.
This years Snow Festival consisted of multiple fundraiser activities, food, games, entertainment, and a special surprise from an anonymous group. Audrey, in act of her punishment for stealing Maleficent's scepter and the Queen's Crown to inevitably take over Auradon, had been in charge of organizing the fundraisers with Mal and Jane. Of course that's only one of the charges as she works through her thousand hours of community service.
"We'll need the toy donation boxes spread out, especially over near the games with prizes. The money donation boxes will be at the ticket booths and at the concession stands--tell them it's tax deductible if the businesses refuse to have them next to their tip jar," Audrey stared down one of the volunteers, determined for the festival to be perfect. The volunteer nodded diligently and went off on his way with a pile of folded large boxes and two large boxes of plastic money boxes on a flatbed cart. He motioned to a fellow volunteer that was standing around, unsure of what to do.
"Hey Audrey!" Audrey spun around to see a purplenette carrying a large box of decorations.
"Mal! Hey! Here let me help you." Audrey went forward to help Mal set the large box on a nearby table.
"Oh, thank you. How's everything going for the toy donation fundraiser?"
"Well, I've got a few volunteers setting up the boxes for toys being put up by prize gained games," Audrey began to explain her plan to her 'supervisor' with a guarded front. She hoped she wasn't going to mess this up.
"So people would be more enticed to earn another prize to put in the box, smart!" Mal grinned, "I'm glad that you've got everything covered here. I'd recommend taking a few laps to check on the boxes, unless you had already planned on that then you don't need me to tell you what to do. However, I know that there are a few bad habits that are hard to break and pick-pocketing in a crowd, no less, is even something that Jay has resist a lot. Anyways, I don't know if you've gotten the memo, but, we'll need to sort through everything in the donations and see if we can match things up with the wish list of every kid in Auradon City in the next few days and we need all hands on deck. We'll be sorting all the days long, but you won't have to stick around for all of it."
Audrey nodded, "Not to worry, I'll make my rounds. I had wanted to see a lot of the booths and things, but I'll keep an eye out and keep you posted. And I'll most likely will be there, service hours and all... but I have some Christmas shopping to finish so I might cut out early."
"Not a problem, I'm splitting my days," Mal had started before she heard someone call her from behind, "Ah, Jane needs me," Mal said furrowing her brows and pursing her lips with a slight frown. Audrey tilted her head slightly, confused on how Mal knew it was Jane calling her without looking.
"No, yeah, of course," Audrey quickly said.
Mal nodded shortly, "I'm thankful for your help Audrey. You have know idea how glad I am to have some one I can rely on, to take charge on a situation."
Audrey was speechless. Mal turned to leave, but only took a few steps before turning and walking slowly backwards to face Audrey again, "Oh, and Audrey, stop being nervous. I am not mad at you. The past is past, forgive, forget. I hold no ill feelings against you, just concern. You have leadership qualities Audrey, and I respect that as a person that can recognize a fellow leader. Don't believe me? Ask Uma, she'll say the same." Mal gave a two finger salute before turning on her heel and walking off with strong presence that had everyone glancing or looking at her as she passed, some even bowed their head slightly in her wake. Audrey had watched as Mal took a detour to where Jane was and pulled younger boy in black and blue leather to her side.
Mal set up the art booth as Jane went over their list of things to do.
"Jane," Mal said as she fixated a canvas on an easel.
"...and concessions are starting to set up. I'll have Tatianna check over that area. I'm not very good on the whole cooking businesses. Most of the rides and games are set up, I have four groups of five helping over there. I've called Carlos and he and Jay are taking care of the stage with the Tourney and R.O.A.R. teams. Carlos also told me to tell you he's going to need you for sound check, which I don't know--he said you'd know. Anyways, Evie says she'd like you to go see her when you had a moment. Ben also said he had called you, but you didn't answer and he said that he'll be at the tree at three, again something you'd know. Also--"
"Jane!" Mal called to her fast-talking friend.
"Yes?" Jane cut off quickly, then blushed, "Sorry. I really need to work on that."
"Everything is fine Jane. Audrey has the two major fundraisers covered, and the baking club has the bake sale covered as well. Everything is going according to plan, so why don't you go take a break--ah-ah, a thirty minute break, because I know you'd complain if I said an hour. You've earned it, Jane. If you're lucky you can snag Carlos away too. I know without a doubt that he and Jay are bickering over the stage parts."
Jane smiled, "You are too nice, Mal."
Mal narrowed her eyes playfully and shushed her, "You're going to ruin my rep woman! Now go, shoo-shoo, go spend time with my little brother."
Jane blushed, thanked her and bounded off to find her boyfriend.
"Well if it isn't the Dragoness, being all cozy and soft."
Mal rolled her eyes and turned to see her lovely friend, Mad Maddy.
"Good to see you too, Maddy."
Mad Maddy smirked as she brushed her lime locks over her shoulder.
"I see you've gone back to the Goblin Slime dye, got to say... It's not your best look." Mal scrunched up her nose.
Maddy scoffed, "And what do you know. You never stray from Poisonous Purple."
"Well, at least mine's natural and doesn't come in a can."
Mad Maddy's face became aflame and was about to tear into Mal, who was disinterested in the entire conversation, when they were interrupted.
"Ladies! How are you this fine afternoon? Mali, mind introducing me before I carry you over to the stage?"
"Emir, lovely to see you, where's your shadows?"
"Akiho and Aziz are helping Jay--"
"Jay's here?" Maddy cut in.
Emir glanced between the suddenly curious girl that he didn't know to his best friend's fiancée who was giving him a look to not say anything more.
"Uh, no... he's somewhere Downtown. Why?"
"No reason," Maddy shut down the inquisitive and started to mumble to herself before quickly sounding a goodbye and leaving in a cloud of gray smoke.
"What just happened?" Emir asked carefully.
Mal sighed, "My past is back to haunt me as usual... that was Mad Maddy, or well, Maddy. Sorry, we all have our Isle names, anyways she's one of Madam Mim's granddaughters. We used to be close, but I was forced to do something that made her hate me and in retaliation she has tried to kill me."
Emir blanched at how casual Mal was tossing her brief story, "What?!"
"Yeah, so what did Carlos need?"
"Uh... sound check?" Emir finally stumbled out.
"Right. Let's go then."
Mal had done a quick rendition of I Fly by Faouzia (with Galantis) for sound check [song at the bottom].
With a few whistles and cheers Mal left the stage with a thumbs up from Carlos, giving her the single that everything was all good.
"Emir! Time!"
"3:12!"
"Goblins, I'm late!" Mal cursed and took off, tossing the mike to Taylor and running to the tree where Ben was waiting for her.
"What did you think?" Evie asked Dizzy and Celia nervously.
"It's was awesome!" Celia exclaimed with a wide grin.
"I love it! Especially how you amended Chillin' Like A Villain. Every Islander knows that song since you guys came to the Isle to get Mal back."
"How did--"
"News travels fast in the underground," Celia stated as she shuffled her cards.
"Of course," Evie sighed, "So you think it'll be good?"
"Yes!" Dizzy smiles, knowing Evie was more than just nervous, "You are perfect, Mal couldn't have found anyone else better to open the festival."
"Thank you Dizzy," Evie smiles and pulls Dizzy into a tight hug.
Dizzy awkwardly taps her back, "Can't... breathe..."
"Oh! Right! Sorry."
"All good," Dizzy giggled as Evie pulled away quickly.
"I'm so sorry!" Mal rushed out as she pushed through the Willow's leaves to find no Ben.
Mal groaned, "Ben!" She moved towards the trunk of the Willow, only to be snatched up from behind and through over a broad shoulder.
"Ah! Ben! Put me down!" Mal yelped.
Ben laughed, "You're late, Bertha. We need to work on your punctuality."
"I had to do a sound check, Florian!"
"I know. I heard your angelic voice from here." Ben grinned as he carried her to the opposite side of the Willow to where he had a small wooden picnic table placed for them. Mal, in an act of inspiration, had carved and stained the table as a secret surprise for their two-year anniversary.
Ben set her down on top of the table and stood between her legs with his hands resting on her waist. Mal glared up him, tilting her head back a little so that their noses kissed, her arms latched around his neck. Ben simply gave her a wolfish grin, and Mal had a hard time hiding her own smile.
"Since you were nearly twenty minutes left, my free hour is now a pitiful forty minutes," Ben said jokingly, but he was serious. His eyes were soft with guilt and sadness.
"No-oh... I'm sorry!" Mal pouted, this was the only time she had with her fiancé alone this week, "The festival is soaking up all my time, and I've been grateful for the distraction while you are in your meetings but I hate how we've been missing each other like ships passing in the night."
Ben sighed, "I know, I know. I've been trying to match up our schedules, but I can never get a glance at your planner. Jane keeps it pretty tight lipped--"
"Yeah, that's my fault actually," Mal said scrunching up her face. Ben admired how adorable she looked before her claim fully digested.
"What?" Ben furrowed his brows and almost stepped back to get a better look at her face and body language, but Mal had kept him rooted to where he stood with her arms wrapped around his neck--which helped pull her torso up taller and brought his height down a few centimeters--and her legs locking around his thighs to keep him in place.
Mal let out a long breath, "You know how we promised not to keep secrets from each other?" Ben listened to Mal tentative approach and noted the slight shift of weight in her sitting.
"Yes," Ben stretched out his single syllable answer as his hazel eyes watched traced every feature of her face while she avoided eye contact.
"I may have left out one piece of information?" Mal questioned, her voice coming out smaller than she had hoped as she finally met Ben's eyes where she at met a hard stare and clenched jaw.
Mal grimaced, "To be fair... I thought Fairy Godmother had told you, she knows, so it's taken care of but Jane keeping my schedule tight lipped to only a need-to-know basis with certain people--of course, you are on the list but the need-to-know is only when events involve any other party." Mal quickly amended when she noticed the narrowing stare at the term 'certain people'.
"Why is your schedule on a need-to-know basis, Mal?" Ben asked carefully, dreading the reason.
"There may... have been a couple incidents that involved the press and/or a student at Auradon Prep that had gotten a picture of my schedule and proceeded to basically stalk me and/or criticize my authority of clearance to some events and/or classes, hence the tight-lipped schedule bodyguard known as Jane."
Ben closed his eyes and leant his forehead against Mal's in hopes to calm the bubbling anger that was rising to the surface. Mal, noticing his internal battle, moved her arms from around his neck to around his torso and gave him a squeeze. He returned it, smiling.
"The speakers go on the stage, not the grass, Jay!" Carlos scolded.
"The stage is smaller if we put the speakers up there!"
"What are you talking it about?! It's basically the size of a basketball court!"
"There are stands for the speakers to be put on the grass!"
"People will trip over them easily!"
"Oh, and those on stage won't trip over them and break their neck?!"
"Yes! Because they'll be at the front corners!"
"Well why didn't you just say so?!"
"Because you didn't bother to ask!"
"Are they always fighting over stupid things?" Archer, son of Merida, asked Lonnie who was waiting for her chance to break up an impending brotherly brawl.
"Jay and Carlos? Yeah. But this isn't as bad as usual."
"They're worse than this?"
"Hella worse. That's when the swords come out and Mal has to play referee."
"Why?"
"So they don't kill each other, or well injure each other--killing is a bit too strong of a word." Lonnie hummed and glanced over to see Taylor setting up a booth wrong.
"Taylor! It's not a box, it's a table!" Lonnie called and went to go help him fix it leaving Archer to watch Carlos and Jay fixate the speakers at the corners of the stage.
AND... TIME SKIP...
The Snow Festival was alive and crowded as people from everywhere across Auradon came to see the Festival hosted by Lady Mal, King Ben, and friends. People and children were having a blast as laughter and cheerful screams echoed across the large field.
And as the night grew closer the holiday music, that blasted through speakers everywhere, was quickly silenced. People eating at the tables in front of the stage looked at the stage curiously as Carlos tossed mikes to a purplenette and a young king. Ben and Mal took center stage and looked at the large crowd of excitement.
"Merry Christmas Auradon!" Ben called out to the crowded. They were met with a roar of clapping and shouts of 'Merry Christmas' back. This elicited a small laugh from Mal.
"It's been a good year as we welcome friends and family from the other side of the barrier after all this time, putting past differences and starting anew." Ben said looking over at his queen and taking her free hand.
"It has been a good year hasn't it?" Mal grinned, "But I think it's been more than just 'good', it's been wicked long! Am I right?" Mal laughed with she received a lot of agreed shouts and cheers.
"I think this year went by pretty fast!" Ben countered playfully.
"How fast is fast?" Mal scrunched up her face at Ben. The crowd laughing at their banter.
"Depends on how you look at a clock," Ben smiled.
Mal rolled her eyes, "Okay, moving on." Mal looked out at the crowd and asked them, "How's the Snow Festival?"
The crowd roared to life.
"Good, that's awesome! I mean it was a lot of work to put together..." Mal eyed Ben like where were you when we were setting up? The crowd laughed.
"I'll have you know, this stage couldn't have been built any better."
"Yes, because I put Carlos in charge."
"Ouch," Ben smirked.
"Anyways, I have a few questions for you Benny--and audience." Mal smiled sweetly which in turn made Ben groan while the crowd laughed once more. He pulled on her hand so she was closer to him and he took her left hand so his arm was around her shoulders and her hand was clasped with his on her right shoulder.
"I should've known she'd have questions," Ben said more to the audience with a worried look. People laughed.
Mal let go of his hand to back hand his chest and then re-clasp their hands.
"Okay ow!" Ben glared at her. Mal grinned widely.
"First question," Mal started, "People in the crowd, if you know the answer before Benny here can spew an answer raise your hand quickly and Jay will hand you a mike so you can say the answer, if you are wrong Benny will be able to steal his chance back--it's a friendly competition that gives bragging rights for beating the king to an answer. Sound good?"
Ben laughed, "Of course, always a competition with you Mali."
"One, don't call me that. Two, of course. What do you expect?"
"You. I expect you to be your awesome, strong and loving self."
"Goblins, do you have to be so cheesy and ruin my Isle rep in three seconds?"
"Yep. And you're stuck with me, so deal with it."
"Who said I was stuck will you?"
"Literally everyone that will be attending, watching, and celebrating our marriage in five months." Ben told her so casually while Mal gave him a what the hellfire look.
"Only five months? Already? Wow. I'm going to need some serious alone time." Mal drawled.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. You're excited."
"Of course! I mean when else is there going to be a major dessert buffet with one table dedicated to strawberries?"
"And to think you were only going for me."
"You're just collateral."
"Are going to always be mean to me?"
"Mean?! I don't do mean. Wickedly sarcastic? Totally."
"Yes, yes, flirt in another room you two! We have a game to play!" Aziz called from off stage.
"Right. Apologies. Everyone remember that rule?"
"First question, what is Snow Festival?" Mal asked knowing this was going to get Ben into his historically over accurate rant.
"Snow Festival was created on accident ten years after the Isle was created. It was early December when Dumbo's Circus Parade came through town set up here at this field. Soon food trucks started to line up and the school band, orchestra, choir, and dance teams performed over the course of three days. It snowed three hours into the festivities and then the name 'Snow Festival' just kind of stuck. That first Snow Festival was during a low economic year where the economy was struggling and people were being put out into the streets for reasons I won't share because I don't want to bring politics anymore into this evening, but that Festival much like this one, brought people together and charities and organizations were built all through that three day weekend. Friendships and families grew stronger and all were able to build the economy back up to a prosperous time of growth."
"With that said, I'd like to personally thank each and everyone of you for coming to this beautiful event tonight and hopefully again tomorrow or on the last night. We have different performances each night and our performers would love your support. And we have three charity organizations here: Safe Haven, an orphanage that I am partnered with, is here tonight in hopes to raise awareness to those of the poverty stricken and those that have lost so much. Tonight we begin to bring Christmas to those that can't afford it and those who need a little Christmas Spirit to cheer them up. Wendy Darling is the head organizer of Safe Haven and her information booth is over by the art booth, wave for us Wendy!" Mal waved at Wendy on her far left. Wendy waved with a large smile, a few of her children--both her own descendants and ones from Safe Haven. "Another organization here tonight is Charity's Secret Service--and no, it isn't bodyguards and spies even though that's what I thought at first. Charity's Secret Service is a volunteer organization that helps children around the world, not just Auradon, who are victim to abuse, mental illness, depression, and they help with suicide prevention--those are just a few. I have a lot of respect for them, and I'll let them tell you guys about them at their information booth. Charity, the head of the organization, could not be here tonight unfortunately do to a family emergency in Burgess, Pennsylvania, so she sent in her trusted friend, the Winter Spirit and Guardian of Fun: Jack Frost and her nephew: Jamie Bennett. It's a pleasure to have you guys with us, and Jack you may need to help us with something later." Mal said as she waved to the two men, "Their booth is over by the snow cones and hot chocolate. And lastly but certainly not the least, we have a new organization starting up tonight. This idea had been brought up by an anonymous source to friends and family before making audience with Ben and I. This organization is new and adjustable, but it's main goal is still the same. This organization has brought forward issues that Ben nor anyone of my friends had known about in current time and tonight they want to put out awareness of discrimination, hunger, bullying, and the lack of profitable education. This organization will be led by me, Evie Queen, Jay Vizier, Carlos De Vil, Audrey Phillips, Li Lonnie, Jane Lowell, Doug Dopeyson, Aziz Ababwa, Ahkio Bjorgman, the rest of the tourney and swords and shields teams--"
"And me," Ben added, "Everyone that wants to be involved to help, will be included. More information will be at the booth by the jewelry booth with Dizzy." He waved to his right, where Dizzy was with members of the tourney team and Squeaky and Squirmy.
"Question two. It's getting pretty boring with all this talking, so let's mix it up a bit. But first, where's the snow?"
Jack Frost took his cue along with a fellow Spirit from the opposite side of the crowd and music started up.
"Uh oh, I really don't want to be ran over by a sleigh. We should move," Ben said and quickly left the stage as a suddenly slid into view.
"Hey! It's getting pretty chilly, don't forget the hot coco as Evie rocks the stage with an Isle Styled Christmas song!" Mal cheered and followed after Ben.
[Chillin' Like A Snowman]
AND... TIME SKIP...
The crowd was getting smaller, and soon it was mainly teens burning the midnight oil on games and good times.
It was a good early winter and this ending is crappy and I want to go to bed despite it being almost 9:30pm right now.
Have a Merry Christmas!! Happy Holidays to those that don't celebrate Christmas or other variations of the holiday!! And have a have New Year!! Love you all!!!