Chapter Text
News reached Mal fast. Younger VKs trying to curry favor with her gang would come to one of them with tidbits of overheard conversations in exchange for various rewards, which depending on the relevance of their information could be small as some spare change to significant as protection from rival gangs.
Celia was a frequent purveyor of gossip, the thirteen year old street performer being a constant presence in the marketplace, and despite her age was one of the best hagglers on the Isle.
Making her ultimatum that morning an unusual occurrence.
“I overheard the ferry workers when they were unloading this month’s shipment,” she said, expression uncharacteristically serious. “You can wait to find out tomorrow with the rest of the Isle, but trust me, you’re going to want to know this in advance.”
“Okay, I’ll bite,” Mal said. “What do you want in exchange?”
“Make sure I’m in the first of next year’s groups,” Celia said. “Once I’m old enough for highschool.”
“Auradon is planning something for groups of highschoolers?” Mal asked. “Something worthwhile?”
“Swear it,” Celia said.
Mal took a split second to weigh her options.
“If Auradon’s trying to catch us off guard somehow…” She nodded decisively. “Alright. I swear.”
“The heir to the throne of a kingdom traditionally passes a proclamation before being crowned, usually some sort of passion project. Normally that wouldn’t hold any implications for us, but considering it’s the prince of all of Auradon’s vassal states, he has influence over the Isle.”
“And he actually chose to have anything to do with us?” Mal raised an eyebrow.
“We’re his latest charity case,” Celia sneered. “Granted, one that gave him some public backlash, but still. Crafting the perfect image of a too-nice-for-his-own-good kid.”
“Someone in my gang is part of the ‘charity case’, I take it?”
“All of you, actually,” Celia answered. “He probably asked the ferrymen which teens had the most influence over public VK opinion.”
“So?” Mal prodded, losing patience. “What’s he using us for?”
“Some exchange program with Auradon Prep. Redemption drivel and second chances. You guys are the first four to go. You should pack, they’re sending the car tomorrow morning.”
“Right after the news would be announced here,” Mal realized. “Giving us no time to prepare.”
“Exactly,” Celia said. “But now, your parents won’t catch you by surprise if they try to take advantage of this opportunity.”
“They’d be notified before everyone else?”
“As your legal guardians, they need to consent.”
“Great,” Mal rolled her eyes. “Just peachy.”
Sunday dawned a cloudy gray, typical Isle weather. Mal and her gang-mates had hidden bare necessities on their person, knowing that they’d most likely be given no time to pack when they were told the good news. And indeed, less than an hour before their ride arrived Maleficent gathered the four of them in her stony hall.
Mal instinctively positioned herself to take the brunt of her mother’s attention, standing a step ahead of the other VKs.
“Guess which lucky children are going to Auradon Prep,” Maleficent said, the grin on her face more akin to a baring of teeth than a smile.
On cue, Carlos muffled a yelp, Jay held up his hand in a “hold on” gesture, and Evie gasped delicately.
“ What?” Mal said. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I’m serious, darling,” Maleficent said. “Deadly, lethally serious. Now do shut up and listen to the intelligent person in your life.”
“Yes, Mother,” Mal huffed.
“I have compiled all the spells that could prove useful to you on the mainland,” Maleficent retrieved a small pile of post-it notes tied together with twine. “They’ll work over there, unless you’re more incompetent than I thought.”
Mal mutely put out her hand but Maleficent merely raised the papers out of her reach.
“The sole reason any of your guardians signed those damn permission slips is so that you may bring us Fairy Godmother’s wand,” she said. “The only instrument of magic that works within the barrier.”
“As it’s what raised it in the first place,” Mal said. “We know.”
“Curb that attitude,” Maleficent ordered and shoved the collection of spells into Mal’s chest. “You four will be on very thin ice if you get booted back here, so keep your cheek in check and use these wisely. Magic is discouraged in Auradon these days.”
“Yes, Mother,” Mal said, taking hold of the notes as they were released from Maleficent’s grip.
“There’s a dear,” Maleficent patted her cheek, pointed nails leaving faint imprints on Mal’s skin. “Now go pack, the car will be here in twenty minutes.”
A marching band greeted them as the limousine turned the corner into Auradon Prep’s driveway. Behind the band, a crowd of Auradonian students halfheartedly waved blue and yellow flags, although two came forward as the limo slid to a halt.
Mal took a moment to compose herself, missing the driver going to open their door, and winced when Jay shoved Carlos right out the car onto the pavement. Evie kicked him in the back, pushing Jay to fall on top of Carlos, who yelped and punched him. The son of Jafar looked between the two as Evie emerged from the car, and Mal decided it was more than time to make her entrance.
She stepped silently out of the car, briefly putting a hand on Jay’s shoulder to remind him to behave while shooting Evie a look. Ignoring the three idiots as they grumbled but ceased to antagonize one another, she smiled slightly at the two AKs in front of her even as her raised brows conveyed judgment.
“It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you,” the one in a dark blue suit said.
“We weren’t sure you were going to bother coming,” the pink one said with saccharine cheer. “It’s hard to predict interest in a rehabilitation program, after all.”
“Yes, well,” the boy shifted his stance to create a slight barrier between the girl and the VKs with his broad shoulders. “I’m Ben.”
Prissy-in-pink scoffed.
“ Prince Benjamin,” she specified and smiled up at him dreamily. “Soon to be king.”
“And this is Audrey,” Ben chuckled awkwardly.
“Princess Audrey,” she reminded him, then turned to face Mal. “His girlfriend.”
Mal looked Ben up and down slowly, causing him to blush and Audrey to clutch his arm possessively.
“Oh, fellow royalty!” Evie stepped forward and curtseyed. “My mom’s the Evil Queen, so…”
“Oh, honey,” Audrey said. “It’s so sweet of you to think that villains have any royal status here.”
Evie glared at her, but retreated to once again stand in line with Carlos and Jay.
“Her name is Evie,” Mal said, then slowed her speech as though explaining something to a toddler. “Honey is the kind of sickly sweet name you find on this side of the bridge.”
A sneer flashed across Audrey’s face but vanished the second Ben glanced at her.
“You must be Mal,” he said, offering his hand.
“You did your research,” she said, shaking his hand deliberately slowly to watch Audrey’s face redden.
“Like, Maleficent’s daughter?” Audrey burst out.
Mal gave Ben’s hand a squeeze hard enough to be painful before dropping it.
“Yes,” she said evenly. “Exactly like that.”
Audrey’s fingers began to whiten against Ben’s arm.
“So sorry I’m late!” a middle-aged woman ran up to them as best she could in her kitten heels, two more AKs trailing behind her.
“They showed up early,” Audrey curled her lip. “You know you’re always right on time.”
“Yes, well,” the woman fluffed her brown hair. “It waits for no man or fairy.”
“You’re the headmistress,” Carlos deduced. “Fairy Godmother.”
“Really?” Jay said. “I expected someone… older.”
He exchanged a high five with Evie behind Mal’s back.
“Yes, well, that’s me,” Fairy Godmother said with a warm smile that was only mildly forced. “I'd like to formally welcome you to Auradon Prep!”
“Do you teach magic?” Jay asked. “A magic class would be so sick.”
“I’m afraid not,” she said. “Magic is a relic of the past. Here we focus on the future!”
“Not all barriers are literal, I take it,” Mal said.
The headmistress’s smile became fixed.
“Doug and Lonnie will show you to your respective dorms,” Fairy Godmother said, naming the two teens who’d followed in her wake. “You’ll find class schedules, phones, bus passes, and debit cards in the drawer of your bedside tables. You have a limited monthly allowance from the state so spend wisely. Staying out in town past ten thirty is strictly forbidden, as is leaving school grounds before the end of your classes. That being said, we are one bus ride away from a thriving shopping center. If you have any questions, feel free to come find me in my office.”
She nodded at them sharply before pivoting on her heel and marching back into the building.
“Smooth,” Audrey said, dragging Ben away.
The gang turned to look at Lonnie, who gave a strained smile, and Doug, who gulped nervously.
“Shall we?” Lonnie asked.
Unlike the girls’ pastel pink and white room, the boys had dark wooden furniture and a blue color scheme with green accents.
“Why do you guys get the nicer rooms?” Mal complained the second she and Evie walked through the door.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Evie muttered.
“It’s called misogyny, Mal,” Jay said. “This is Auradon, what did you expect?”
Carlos hummed in agreement, too busy being absorbed with the large screen installed in one of the walls to articulate his opinion in words.
“Woah,” Evie had wandered over to one of the beds, and was reverently sorting through the tangle of shiny watches, earrings, and hairpins scattered on the sheets.
“Jay, how many accessories did you swipe?” Mal asked, exasperated. “We’ve been here for like forty minutes.”
“It’s not my fault they make it so damn easy,” Jay said. “Look, I restrained myself! There’s no wallets here, so no important things like licenses and IDs, therefore if we get busted, we won’t be in too much trouble.”
“So you do have critical thinking skills,” Carlos commented, saving his progress and setting down the controller. “I wonder, sometimes.”
“I don’t know, I’d be pretty upset if I lost something like this,” Evie said, holding up a ruby pendant that had made its way around her neck.
“Okay, let’s focus up here,” Mal snapped her fingers. “We have free transport-”
“Actually,” Carlos said. “Even if that’s needed, I think it’s smarter to walk, so that we won’t have anything proving that we left the school in the event that the first attempt fails.”
“ If that’s needed?” Mal asked.
“Yeah, your mother is never more than a foot away from her scepter,” Evie said. “You really think FG doesn’t have the wand stashed somewhere here?”
“It has an exhibit in some museum,” Mal said. “I already looked it up.”
“Well, we can double-check,” Jay said. “My sticky fingers can be useful, you know.”
He threw a small oval mirror onto the desk they’d converged around.
“Is that my mom’s?” Evie’s jaw dropped. “She’s going to kill you.”
“It should work for you, though, right?” Mal picked it up and handed it to her. “Give it a try.”
“Um, magic mirror, in my hand,” Evie said. “Where is FG’s wand, uh, in this land?”
The cloudy glass cleared, revealing the outline of a very familiar looking building.
“Eat your words,” she tossed her blue-black hair.
The silhouette of Auradon Prep stared back at them.