Chapter Text
"So, we have to go to Auradumb and get a wand," Jay said where he was laying back on Mal's bed. They had just had an absolutely wonderful meeting with their parents. Someone in Auradon had apparently decided to grow half a backbone and invited them to come to their school (read: ordered, because Auradonians always ordered rather than asked). At least Mal's mom had come up with some benefit to going aside from maybe getting some decent food for once.
"Apparently so," Mal said with a huff. "So stupid."
"Well, it would be nice to not have a barrier locking us on the island anymore," Evie mused as she eyed her makeup critically in her brand new hand sized magic mirror.
"Yeah, I guess," Jay grumbled. "Don't really want to go to Auradumb though."
The others nodded in agreement. Auradon, the land of delusional dreamers who are pretty, stupid, didn't work at anything, and just got too damn lucky. Carlos was sitting at the window and wincing slightly as he watched and listened to his mother ranting down on the street beside her car. "I don't think I'll mind..." he muttered.
"Ignore her. Mom said she can't come back in," Mal assured Carlos. Once they'd gotten Cruella's signature on the proper forms or whatever the Auradonians were insisting on to make it seem like this thing was really a choice, Maleficent had promptly kicked the loon out of Bargain Castle.
"Thank goodness for that," Carlos said with a shiver.
Mal hummed and went over to close her curtains to block out Cruella. "Come on, you need to pack still," she said with a gesture to the battered old red case that was sitting on her bed beside Evie. "Go grab some things."
Carlos sighed but went down the hall to the other small and drafty bedroom that Maleficent was currently putting him up in to grab some things. Once it became clear to the other so-called Villains on the Isle that Cruella was not in any way stable enough to care for a kid they'd agreed Carlos shouldn't stay there. Cruella would come looking for him periodically saying she was better, but they'd learned that was never the case. So they moved Carlos around frequently to other houses of only the villains strong enough to make Cruella think twice. Currently, it was Maleficent's turn. Two weeks ago Jafar and Jay had managed to squeeze some room for the boy into the shop they lived in. Before that had been Yzma and before that Evie and her mom. It was a merry-go-round, but at least Carlos wasn't being hurt. A few other kids had the same situation set up for them as well. An entire Villain version of CPS. Frollo was in charge of making sure the children were hidden away from their parents if ever it became necessary as he had the most practice with that and nobody could make Frollo talk outside of a confessional. It might have been flawed as crap system depending solely on people who often broke their word and were selfish, and if a parent really got nasty the resulting fights always ended badly, but it wasn't as if they could do much else.
The other Villains had even tried to get people like Cruella help (admittedly because having insane people living right next door made their own lives more difficult, but that wasn't the point). Some of the Villains were actually very scholarly types and had taken up a bizarre pseudo therapy business, but without the accompanying medications, there was only so much that did. Leaving the legitimately disturbed with no help whatsoever, however, was a far worse option. Some Villains had even gotten a little better through talking things out with others. Such as Gaston who found somewhat healthier methods of dealing with his frustrations than killing things.
"So, you think this is going to be as annoying as I feel it is?" Jay asked as he pushed himself up on his elbows. "I mean... they're probably going to try and 'reform' us or some stupid shit."
"Probably," Mal said. "But once we get the wand everything will work out."
"Are you sure?" Evie asked as she let her mirror fall out of her eyesight. "I mean... everyone in Auradon will just try to lock us all up again."
Mal frowned but then nodded. "Probably, but they won't be able to without Fairy Godmother's wand. I mean, I doubt they even know how magic works aside from wishing really hard and hoping it all comes true," she said with a scoff.
Carlos came back into the room then with several sets of clothes bundled in his arms, which he dropped in his open case. "... you don't think we'll run into dogs on Auradon, do you?" he asked nervously.
"Don't worry, 'Los," Jay said as he caught the smaller boy around the neck with his arm. "Even if we do run into dogs, we've got your back."
"But what if they rip your throats out?" Carlos nearly squealed in panic.
"Well... I guess we'll just not let that happen," Jay answered casually. Carlos just stared as if the thief was entirely insane. "Anyway, when's this car or whatever supposed to get here?" Jay asked Mal.
"No idea," Mal answered. "Whenever they feel like it, I guess."
Evie hummed as she put her mirror into her pocket. "Who do you think is behind this 'invitation' anyway?" she asked.
"They're supposed to be getting a new king here soon, so I guess him," Mal said. "Poor sap. I wouldn't want to rule Auradon." The others muttered their own agreement as Carlos fought to fasten his case shut. The thing was broken twice over, and it took a lot of effort to actually make it so that the lid didn't pop open at any point.
There was a knock on the door, and the four kids looked over to see Jafar standing there with Iago perched on his shoulder. "The car's crossed the barrier. You best make a last check to make sure you all have everything."
"Sure thing, pops," Jay said as he practically sprung off of Mal's bed.
By the time they had made one last sweep to ensure they had everything that they might need for a long trip and a heist, the car had arrived outside of Bargain Castle. It was attracting quite the crowd of people staring since the only other vehicle on the isle was Cruella's and this definitely wasn't that one.
As the kids came down the Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Jafar were all there. "You four look after each other," Jafar said.
"Yes, Auradonians will look to break you apart and then mold you into what they want," EQ said before fixing an out of place blue strand on Evie's head. "They don't understand what true perfection is," she added with all the regal power of the title that she refused to drop. She would always be a Queen, no matter what the Auradonian law said.
"They'll be watching you closely," Maleficent warned. "So don't make a move until you're sure that it'll be safe. Rushing a plan is often that plan's downfall."
"We understand, Mother," Mal said with a half smile. "We'll be careful."
Jay flashed a smile of his own. "It'll be a cakewalk."
"Don't be overconfident, either," Jafar warned his son.
"Really, we'll be fine," Mal insisted. "We'll get the wand and be back before you know it."
Maleficent studied Mal for a moment before nodding and giving the girl a quick kiss on the forehead. "Good. Now go on. Make us proud."
The four kids agreed and clambered into the long black car that had pulled up. They looked at each other uneasily as the vehicle started moving. Though they had tried to be as confident as possible, the idea of going to Auradon was unsettling. Mal reached over and took the hands of Evie and Carlos. Jay put his own into the pile as well. "We'll be fine as long as we keep together and remember what's important," Mal murmured. "We can do this."