Chapter Text
The spirits free
I woke up with a gasp, sweating, and panting for breath.
I don’t know why I would be shocked. The same type of dream every night. But it takes a toll. At least when I'm alone.
But the Isle was no place for sentiment. It was cut-throat and conniving and...evil.
I knew my friends were already causing mischief to its residents. Not really my cup of tea, I preferred to be in the background before I struck. So I'm glad they let me sleep in. Plus I was usually the one to fend off their eccentric parents.
“Oh Belladonna” a voice trilled out from down below.
Speak of the evil fairy...
“Yes Maleficent” I said, getting out of bed, the tiredness obvious in my voice.
“It’s morning little orphan...Now get down here!” she ended in a shriek.
And was able to include her nickname for me. Kudos.
That was my big thing on the Isle. No one knew who my parents were.
But Maleficient did. And I did. And we kept it a secret. We had an agreement. So I stayed Belladonna the Orphan and was her little henchwomen when needed. It’s how I met the others in the first place.
I quickly got dressed and ready for the day. I dressed in a black scoop neck shirt that was ripped on the bottom. I had gold mesh over it in a tank top cut. My pants were leather and black that tucked into black heeled combat boots. The laces were again gold. My about 20 foot long black hair was styled into a braided bun that sat high on my head. Black fingerless gloves adorned my hands. Finishing off the ensemble was a black trenchcoat that was tailored rather well to my body and had a gold ombre effect at the bottom.
I lived in a lofted space above where Maleficent lived. Which suited me just fine.
I quickly got down the ladder that granted access to my space and saw Maleficent and her other henchmen waiting for me.
“Finally! Walk with me” she ordered, although we didn’t go far. We met the rest of her entourage in the kitchen.
The Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil.
Maleficent faced me, suddenly serious.
“Today is the day little orphan.” she started with.
Oh yeah.
“Today you and our beloved children go to Auradon. And Auradon Prep!” she said with a flourish of her hands.
“Don’t know why they chose her...” the Evil Queen muttered.
Sour witch. With no parentage, to the Evil Queen I was the bottom of the food chain and had no business with their plans. Let alone being...friends with Evie.
“I demanded she accompanied our children!” Maleficent screeched at her.
“We wouldn’t want our children to leave unprotected. Belladonna is the oldest out of all the children of the Isle. She’ll keep them in line.” Maleficent then explained.
The Isle had been the home of the Villians for the past 20 years. I was now 18 years old while the rest ranged from 16 and under.
“And my other tasks?” I asked politely, hands behind my back, like a servant. With Maleficent I had to act like a humble and loyal little hench girl. It made her happy and gave me less of a headache when dealing with them all.
“You must protect our children as they seek out Fairy Godmother’s wand. Keep them on task! I want that wand! With it, we can finally get out of this wretched dump and I can rule over all!”
“We can rule.” Jafar said after Maleficent had her moment.
“Yes yes. We.” she stressed although I knew the fairy. She wouldn’t keep her word. She would twist and snare and trick you before you could utter the words ‘Bibbity Bobbity Boo.’
“Protect our young. Make sure they get the wand. Get the people of Auradon to trust them and you. But don’t get comfortable.” she warned.
“In order for the good people of Auradon to trust us, we will have to have some assimilation to their ways. I trust that won’t be a problem. If only for the ends to justify the means and all” I said, cocking my head and hiding the smirk from appearing on my face.
Just because I acted loyal, didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun on the way. I had no interest in going along with Maleficent's scheming in Auradon. As far as I was concerned, the others could decide if they wanted to get the wand or not.
Only that decision would be made after we got off the Isle.
Then we heard the commotion outside.
Must be the gang. Maleficent waved her hand and her two knuckleheads and myself followed.
This should be good.
And like I thought, my friends were in the alley, cheering for Mal who seemed to have taken candy from a baby. Nice. Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie were my best friends. They were my family. They were all I needed.
Although they quickly realized something was up when they saw the Knuckleheads.
“Hello mother” Mal greeted. The men parted to reveal me and Maleficent.
“Stealing candy Mal? I’m so disappointed.” Maleficent pouted.
“It was from a baby.” Mal said with a small smile, holding it out proudly.
“That’s my nasty little girl” Maleficent gave her before taking the candy and giving it back to the child.
I let Mal and Maleficent have their little mother/daughter moment and let myself focus on Evie as I circled my friends.. She caught my gaze and I saw the fight she made to hide the prettiest blush on her cheeks.
Evie and I had been secretly dating for almost a year now. We only allowed ourselves one kiss a week to prevent her mother from finding out. If she knew her little princess didn’t want to find a prince anymore...well we would all be straying from apples for the next century. The others knew of course. We wouldn’t and couldn’t hide it from them. Mostly because they caught us after the first month.
"Oh there’s news!” Maleficent said to the five of us.
Here we go.
“You five have been chosen to go to a different school...in Auradon!” she flourished.
Instantly, Carlos, Jay, and Evie turned to run away. Only to run into Maleficent's henchmen and me. Well, Evie ran into me and I wrapped my arms around her to stop her.
“Donna...” Evie muttered, trying to give me puppy dog eyes. And while they did pull at my heartstrings, I knew this was the best option for us.
“Sorry princess.” I apologized, hoping she saw I was truly sorry. She nodded her head and sighed.
“I’m not going to some boarding school filled with prissy pink princesses” Mal scoffed.
“And perfect princes.” Evie teased, stepping out of my arms.
“I don’t do uniforms, unless it’s leather. You feel me?” Jay said, looking around.
“I’ll let the seamstress know.” I quipped causing him to laugh. Carlos stepped up next to Jay and me.
“I read somewhere that they allow dogs in Auradon. Mom said they’re rabid pack animals who eat boys that don’t behave.” Carlos rambled, letting his fear get to him.
Jay didn’t help by barking like a dog right in his face. I pushed him away as Carlos jumped and clutched onto me.
“We’re not going mom. Forget it.” Mal said, putting her foot down.
But when did that ever stop Maleficent?
“You’re thinking small, pumpkin. It’s all about world domination.” she said, before turning and walking off.
And what do we do? We follow.
Maleficent led the teens back to her place and their awaiting parents. I saw the hesitation in Evie, but I pushed her towards her mom.
Just a little longer Evie. Then we can be in Auradon and away from all of them.
Maleficent sat in her chair, filing her nails, on top of her second level in the room.
“You will go. You will find fairy godmother and her magic wand. AND you will bring it to me. Easy peasy.” Maleficent explained like it was a grocery list.
I was leaning against the wall, seperating myself from them. That’s how the parents like it. And I don’t like headaches.
“What’s in it for us?” Mal asked, hand on her hip. Always resourceful.
“Matching thrones. Hers-and-hers crowns?” Maleficent suggested with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at her.
“Um… I think she meant us.” Carlos said after a pause in the moment. But the fairy only scoffed at him.
“It’s all about you and me baby. Do you enjoy watching innocent people suffer?” she asked.
“Well yeah. I mean, who doesn’t?” Mal said awkwardly. Me. Well, that’s wrong, I do enjoy seeing people suffer. I don’t think I would attach the ‘innocent’ word to it though. I really liked the idea of people getting exactly what they deserved.
“Well, then get me the wand! You and I can see all that and so much more. And with the wand and my scepter, I will be able to bend both good and evil to my will.” Maleficent imagined.
“Our will!” Evil Queen interjected this time. Deja vu.
“Our will, our will.” Maleficent blew off. Then she snapped her fingers and pointed at Mal.
“And if you refuse, you’re grounded for the rest of your lives, Missy.” Maleficent finished.
To be fair, that was a pretty good pep talk coming from her.
“What mom!” Mal tried to argue, but then they did that weird staring match thing they do. Mal lost, of course.
“I win!” Maleficent cheered.
Evil Queen started patting Evie’s cheek with blush.
“Evie my little evil-lett in training, you just find yourself a prince with a big castle...and a mother-in-law wing…” the woman began to imagine.
“And lots and lots of mirrors” the mother and daughter finished together. Evie caught my eye though for a split second and I sent her a wink.
We’d find our own castle. But I would probably skip on the mother-in-law wing personally.
The wink I sent her caused Evie to burst into giggles.
“No laughing! Wrinkles” Evil Queen scolded, making the both of us frown. I saw Evie deflate a little too. Will have to fix that.
I tuned out as Cruella and Jafar had their own objections with their kids. I refocused on Evie and tried to catch her eye so I could, at least, give her a smile.
I was reluctant to get in a relationship with Evie. I feared what her mom would do to her if she found out. But Evie had pushed and cared and...been Evie. She put up the front for her mother but I saw a side of her that never failed to warm my insides.
It made me feel like I had a chance.
We talked about it. Leaving the Isle and going anywhere. Maybe even Auradon. Free to be who we wanted to be. Whether it was evil or not. Not even the others knew about those conversations. Held secretly at our hiding spot by the docks. Dangerous with Uma’s crew lurking, but no one would think to look for us there. And they never found us either.
To be honest, I couldn’t really consider myself wanting to seek out evil deeds. I just ended up doing them. Or did. But I hoped never to again. I would do what I would have to so I could protect Evie and my friends. And if that went into a more gray area...then that’s what needed to happen.
“What is wrong with you all?” Maleficent bellowed, snapping me out of my thoughts. It did cause Evie to smile, seeming to realize I had zoned out of the conversations around us.
“People used to cower at the mention of our names! For twenty years, I have searched for a way off this island. For twenty years, they have robbed us from our revenge!” Maleficent began to inspire. That was the thing about the wicked fairy.
She knew how to push in just the right ways with just the right amount of force so that everyone would do what she wanted. Damn the consequences. It’s how our little dance started. She messed with things she shouldn’t have, manipulated a situation that ended up paying a steep price. And I paid it. So now, on the Isle, I listened to what she said.
She wanted me to protect my friends and I would. Even if it meant protecting them from her.
“Villains!” Maleficent called out, breaking me from my thoughts once again. I gave a quick wink to Evie who had noticed it like before and she hid the smile behind her hand this time.
“Our day has come. E.Q. Give her the magic mirror!” Maleficent said.
What?
“Your magic mirror?” Evie asked, shocked as the Evil Queen handed her a small mirror with a crack in it.
“Yeah well it ain’t what it used to be, but then again, neither are we! It will help you find things.” Evil Queen explained, giving it a tap with her fingers.
“Like a prince?” Evie suggested, with a quick stolen glance to me.
“Like my waistline.” Evil Queen joked and I gotta admit I let out a little chuckle at that.
“Like the magic wand. Hello!” Maleficent argued to get the other woman back on track.
“My spell book...”Maleficent remembered, trailing off towards the safe. Then getting quite irritated at the safe. Then at me for being able to crack it.
“Here! Come, darling.” she said, bringing Mal closer.
“It doesn’t work here, but it will in Auradon. Remember? When we were spreading and ruining lives.” She mused, directing the end to Evil Queen.
“Like it was yesterday.” Evil Queen mused.
“And now you will all be making your own memories. By doing exactly what I tell you. Door 15 minutes!” she finished causing the kids to rush off and pack. I was already packed and my bag was by the door.
“Who’s the fairest of them all?” Evil Queen asked.
“Me?” Evie asked, with hope in her eyes, but the Evil Queen’s evil glare had her retracting that statement and caused Evie to deflate. Would have to fix that.
“Orphan! Get my Evie’s things!” Evil Queen ordered.
I gave a mock salute and followed Evie back to her place.
She was quiet and in a lot of thought. So the moment we were alone in her bed room I caught her wrist and pulled her into my arms.
“It’s Tuesday...” I spoke softly. I felt the tension leave both of our bodies as we were now alone and away from prying eyes. My arms hung loosely around her waist while her hands came to rest on my chest. A small smile came on her lips but didn’t reach her eyes at the reminder of our once a week day.
“Do you think I have wrinkles?” she asked softly.
“No.” I said, squeezing her closer to me. I was very tall for a girl, so her head was at shoulder level when I stood even without heels, which she enjoyed.
“Do you think I'm the fairest?” she asked even softer. I pulled her chin up to look at me.
“Snow White and your mother can eat their hearts out. You are the fairest of them all.” I said with whole and true meaning in my heart.
She gave a nod with a watery smile before finally pulling me closer by my jacket and letting us kiss. We were such opposites in so many ways. She was the bluest blues and proper and such a light even in the darkest of moments. Where I was blacks and amber, like my eyes, and I was rough and tried to grasp whatever light I could. Maybe that’s why we fit. She was my light. And our kiss was warm and beautiful and made me pull her closer, bringing my hands up and tangling them in her deep blue hair before she hastily pulled away.
“I need to pack.” she said, suddenly horrified. I gave her a smile before going into her closet and pulling out the bags I had prepacked.
“I know what you like.” I said simply, shrugging my shoulders.
Her bright bubbly laugh spilled in the room before we hurried out to the limo Auradon had sent. I put her bags and my bag in the trunk before we settled inside waiting for the others.
“What do you think Auradon will be like?” Evie asked, sitting closer than she normally would since her mom couldn’t see.
“Bright. Happy. Haughty.” I answered honestly.
“But it won’t be here.” I finished. She seemed content with that answer.
The others piled in and we were off.
Evie tried giving Mal a little makeup for her cheeks but apparently you couldn’t plot and wear blush. So when Evie pouted in my direction I volunteered my own cheeks for a little color. I couldn’t resist the look she gave me with the blue rock candy.
Carlos and Jay were helping themselves to the seemingly endless supply of the different candy. Chocolates, sours, sweets, and it was all there for them. Mal was playing with some buttons when suddenly the screen separating us from the driver came down and showed us heading to the broken bridge.
“It’s a trap!” Evie screamed.
Everyone started screaming and huddled together. I quickly wrapped my arms around Evie but only to soothe and I shushed into her ear quietly. I knew what would happen. With another press of a button, the barrier opened and a new magical bridge formed to carry out our journey.
“Magic?” Carlos asked breathless.
“Hey. Did this little button just open up the magical barrier?” Mal asked the driver.
“No. This one opens the magic barrier.” he said, pointing to one by him. Good to know.
“That one opens my garage. And this one...” he trailed off as the third button brought back up the screen.
Mal’s look caused me to snort out a laughter with the other’s quickly following.
“Nasty. I like that guy.” Mal said, causing us to laugh even more.
Jay leaned closer to me to whisper in my ear.
“How long do you think it’ll take Evie to realize you guys don’t have to hide in Auradon?” he asked. I let out a little chuckle. He was right. We wouldn’t have to hide our relationship in Auradon.
“No clue. But I bet you’ll be entertained regardless.” I said, causing him to laugh with me.
“What are you laughing about?” Evie asked with a small frown. I smiled at her and poked at her lips.
“Nothing to worry about love.” I whispered.
And now she was smiling.