Revealing the rot

Second version

Rewritten, a version that's a little different now that I've read the book that comes before the first movie and seen the second movie.

Mal was angry but, somehow, unable to say anything to defend herself as Chad, after attacking her verbally, started attacking Evie and Jay by accusing them of being just as bad as their parents had always been. She didn't know if Chad just hadn't found anything to say against Carlos or if he had simply forgotten about him due to the fact that he was a bit behind them and the smallest but she was glad. She felt protective of him now, like she would of a younger brother and she knew that Jay and Evie felt the same way, she didn't want him to be attacked as well, she knew that he wasn't as strong as she and the other were. This was probably the reason why Jay stood in front of him.

Carlos hadn't had the easiest life with his mother loving her furs, her car and about anything else more than she loved her son. He had always been nothing more than a maid to his mother and even though he had been the smartest in most classes, his self confidence was still low.

They had been raised to be rotten to the core but, even though she pretended nothing had changed, she could tell that her friends and her had changed here, even the way they considered each other had changed. They were learning, trying to be better people. They weren't just a gang of friends, they were a family now, standing up for each other, ready to defend the others. Shaking herself after Evie's mirror revealed that Chad was, indeed, the biggest jerk in the land, Mal found it in her to speak up, in a voice that was full of emotions but clear enough to be heard from everyone around them:

"You know what, Chad? You're right, we're just rotten to the core. We were raised that way. You think you know everything about us, don't you?" Mal had spoken while looking him straight into his arrogant eyes.

Everyone could hear her and she intended to let them all know how prejudiced they were, it was time they all knew what life was like on the Isle and how unfair it was that the kids of villains were treated this way when they hadn't done anything at all.

"I know enough." Chad smirked arrogantly, smirking and looking at his friends for support.

"You don't know anything! You act like you're so much better than us when you're really the worst one here. I mean, Evie might have cheated on her science homework when she first got here but that's because her mother raised her to think that using her brain was unattractive and the sure way to lose a man's attention. She was raised to believe that only her looks mattered, that getting a rich husband was the only goal she should have in life. Whenever she studied, she was punished. She only cheated because she was raised not to trust her brain. What's your excuse for getting girls to do your homework for you in exchange for some of your attention? Do your parents know that you use your inherited charm to get girl to do your homework for you? And what if they found out, which, let's face it, they just heard me, so they know now. What will they do? Scold you, maybe ground you a little and tell you just how disappointed they are? Have you even been beaten by your parents? Starved? Locked in a dark room to face your fears? When our parents are disappointed in us, which, let's be honest, is pretty much every week, we don't eat for several days, we get beaten or locked up in a dark room without any company or anything to do but think about our actions and what we should have done differently. Let me tell you that, when you're starving, you're willing to tell your parents anything to get some food, to get back outside." Mal declared, trying her best to keep an even voice.

She could tell that she had everyone's attention, she could feel Ben's supportive hand around her waist and she knew that he was encouraging her to continue. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Cinderella and Prince Charming frowning and slowly walking toward their son. Jay, Evie and Carlos motioned for her to continue, giving hr permission to speak and tell more, even if it concerned them.

"How dare you!" Chad exclaimed, getting ready to punch her when his father held him back.

Ben had also taken a step forward, along with Jay, ready to defend Mal. Ben, future king, was now glaring at Chad while every male in the crowd looked at Charming's son with shock and disapproval.

"You'll listen to what she has to say, son. And then we'll talk about your behaviour and the punishment you deserve." Prince Charming declared, a strong hand on his son's shoulder.

"And how dare you try to raise your hand to a girl! We taught you more manners!" Cinderella added with an obvious angry look on her face.

"You're all so quick to judge and condemn us... You're right Chad, our parents didn't teach us kindness and fair-play. Anytime we did anything, they told us how much we disappointed them. Where we come from, you do whatever you need to do in order to get what you want, taking anyone that isn't you into consideration is considered the worst weakness of all. You think about you and what's best for you, nothing else or you're punished. When someone opposes you, you strike them down, that's what we've always been told. We were raised to believe that love and friendship were unnecessary and weaknesses. On the Isle, you don't have friends, you have minions or frenemies at best. Jay and I... We've always been close, deep down, he was always the annoying big brother I never wanted, but because of the way things are, we couldn't admit these things, so we were frenemies. If our parents had found out how much we trusted each other, they would have done something about it." Mal took a deep breath and turned her head to see Jay smiling at her and nodding, telling her to keep going.

"It's only here that we don't have to hide how much we count on each other. He is like a brother to me. And Evie... She's my sister now but it hasn't been easy getting there. Our mothers worked on getting us to hate each other since we were kids. When she was 6, Evie had a birthday party worthy of a princess. Everyone was invited, got gifts and had fun. Everyone but me, because her mother was mad at mine for having been elected ruler of the Isle of the Lost. In retaliation, my mother banished them and Evie was castle schooled until she turned 16. Of course my first reaction was to get revenge, it's what I was raised to do. I had a good plan too, she would have been cursed to sleep for a thousand years but I changed my mind, saved her life and we became friends. Our mothers were both very angry until they realized that faking a friendship was the best way to keep an eye on the other. Our parents hated us for becoming friends. To them it meant that we were weak, unworthy." Mal tried hard to fight the tears in her eyes and, so far, she managed to keep them at bay.

She felt Ben's support behind her and Evie took her hand and squeezed it, telling her to keep going.

"Kindness is something we learned here, something we knew nothing about before coming here. Something as simple as parental love... The other day, Lonny told us how her mother was, comforting her when she was sad, hugging her, trying to make her feel better... We didn't have that. When we were sad, we had to hide it, power through it or we'd be punished. We were told that being sad was being weak. And being weak is the first step before being dead. When you're sad, you get sweets. On the Isle, we don't know what sweets are, we barely ever get any. We only get what you don't want, what's stale..." Mal explained, still fighting the tears in her eyes.

"Some of our parents kind of love us, or they try to make us think that they do... But when we grow up we realize that it isn't love. They don't love us like a parent loves his child, they love us like a master loves his servant, we're minions. What we provide them is an opportunity to leave something of theirs behind, to have their name, their legacy, last longer. Some of us are even nothing more than another minion to our parents, like Mal or, worst, Carlos, who's bedroom was the floor of his mother's closet and whose only job was to keep the house clean and his mother's furs in perfect shape. Tell them the story behind your name Mal." Evie added, knowing that her friend needed some time to gather her thoughts.

"What about her name?" Audrey asked in a defensive tone before her mother's warning glance made her look down.

Audrey had always been spoiled but her parents were starting to realize that it might have been a mistake.

"My name is Mal, but... My real complete name is Maleficent, like my mother's, or at least it's what it's supposed to be. But she forbade me to use my full name until I deserved it. I have to live up to her name before I can use it. Do you know how it feels when you grow up with your mother telling you that you're not even worth a complete name, that all you deserve is a three letters syllable? When you're told over and over again that you're not mean enough, that you won't satisfy your mother and make her proud until I acted just like her and cursed several kingdoms? You have no idea what it does to someone's self confidence to know that no matter what you do, your mother, your only parent, will never be proud of you, will never truly love you and will only ever be disappointed in you, repeating over and over again that I'm just like my weak human father, which, by the way, is all I know about him. She never told me his name, speaking about him or asking questions about him was absolutely forbidden. Don't you think that sometimes, I wonder if he'd love me, if I'd have been happier growing up with him? I don't get that and asking questions about this only meant being punished, again." Mal replied, tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

"Mal..." Ben whispered, hugging her closer to him.

"You accused Jay of being violent when he first got here but you don't understand that violence is the only thing we knew before coming here. On the Isle of the Lost, if you're not strong, you die. You have no idea how many children don't finish elementary school because they die before the end of it, simply because they were too weak to reach to their parents' expectations or they simply disappointed their parents. You're all so lucky to have parents who only want the best for you... Do you know that Carlos was scared of dogs before Ben showed him that they weren't rabid pack animals trying to kill him but nice creatures looking for some love? His mother fed his fear so she could use it to manipulate him. What happens when you're afraid of something? I bet your parents help you get over it or they comfort you whenever you have to face your fears. It's so easy for you to judge and condemn us, but you have no idea what it's like for us. Even now, we might be away from our parents but they still try to control us, to get us to do whatever they want. Your parents care for your happiness, ours don't. They don't know or care about what makes us happy, they only care about what they want and what's the easiest way to get it." Mal told them all, appreciating Ben's comfort.

"We might have our defaults, but we're learning, trying to see things differently. What's your excuse?" Evie asked Chad and Audrey.

Mal now turned to Aurora's mother:

"You know, I'm really sorry for what my mother did to your daughter. It wasn't the best response but you need to admit that you had your faults too. You could have invited her to this christening. She'd have been a bit loud and obnoxious but she wouldn't have done anything as evil as cursing your entire kingdom. I heard once that Evil wasn't born, it's made. Maybe you should all think about that and try to keep in mind that our parent's faults are their own. We might have inherited their DNA, we didn't inherited their dark souls and their past actions, we don't deserve to be punished with them. I have nothing to do with what my mother did to Aurora, so stop treating me like I'm the one who cursed her asleep. If I had, then my mother would actually be a bit proud of me and allow me to use my full name." Mal said the last piece looking directly at Audrey, who couldn't meet her eyes and looked down while her grandmother looked pensive.

"As for Ben, I'll just say this Audrey: if you really loved him, you wouldn't have jumped on Chad the second he broke up with you. Kind of makes me wonder who the real Gold digger is here. Where you with Ben because you loved him or because he was about to be crowned King and you liked the glory that provided you? Because you loved the idea of becoming Queen one day?" Evie asked Audrey who didn't answer, her silence telling more than her words could have.

"Oh Audrey..." Aurora sighted, shaking her head.

"We're not our parents, don't treat us like we are. You have no idea what it's like to grow up on the Isle, with only rotten or stale food to eat. All we have on the Isle is your trash, what you don't want anymore. Our parents might deserve it, but we, and the other children, don't. And if you're treating everyone from the Isle that Ben sends here the same way you treated us, don't be surprised if you make another generation of villains, it will be your own fault." Evie added, thinking of little Dizzy and how much she'd love being here.

"I don't really see what the big difference is between you and us, some of you are nastier than we ever were but anyway... don't worry, the minute we're sent back to the Isle of the Lost for the next school break, you'll be done with us because if we survive going back there, they won't let us leave the dark wet cell they'll lock us in for the rest of our lives." Mal snapped, shocking everyone.

"If we survive? Because you actually think that our parents won't kill us for not even trying to get them that wand?" Jay exclaimed darkly.

"What do you mean? What wand?" The Blue Fairy asked, recovering quickly from everything they had just learned.

"When our parents learned that we'd come here, they immediately started plotting, it's what they do, always. They gave us a mission: steal your wand and get it back to them so they could escape and get revenge on everyone." Carlos explained.

"We're actually happy here, and so we quickly stopped planning to try and get it, which, by the way, would be quite easy. We stopped planning because we grew to love this place and because we made friends and we didn't want our parents to destroy everything that was good and beautiful here. We protected all of you from our parents, and it's going to get us killed. You're welcome." Mal snapped before she turned around and left, crying.

"Who's rotten now? Some of you guys are so spoiled that you've become rotten without realizing it." Evie snapped at everyone before she Jay and Carlos followed Mal.

"I'll be right there." Ben told Jay who nodded.

Looking around him Ben could see that Mal's words at touched them all. He, too, was thinking about what she said about them only getting whatever wasn't used on Auradon, like stale or rotten food. He needed to do something against it.

"Son, what's this about you getting girls to do your homework for you?" Prince Charming asked Chad with a frown while Aurora, her husband and her mother took Audrey aside to question her behaviour and her feelings toward Ben and Chad.

"Oh, come on dad, you can't possibly believe what that horrible girl said!" Chad argued, doing his best to look sincere.

"Please! Just admit it already! You got Evie to do your science homework, telling her that once she did them, you'd have time to spend with her but instead you got with Audrey in front of her, knowing that it would hurt Evie! You always do that, not just with her. Just be honest for once." Lonny argued.

"I was there when he told Evie that if she did his homework, he'd have time to date her." Doug added.

"No, you weren't!" Chad glared.

"Yes, I was. I was hiding because I liked Evie and wanted to see if I could find a way to spend time with her." he insisted.

"You're just a bunch of traitors." Chad snapped.

"Unlike you, they're honest." Ben shook his head.

"Well, I think that, as a punishment, you'll stay in the library, on your own, until you've redone all the homework that have been assigned to you since the beginning of the school year. Once you're done, you'll write a letter of appology to every girl in school for using them, even the ones you haven't used. You'll also apologize publicly to the female gender in general." Prince Charming declared before guiding his son toward the school's library, ignoring Chad's complains.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if my girlfriend is feeling well enough to have lunch with me. I chose to believe you'll all find the time to apologize to them before the end of the day." Ben declared, letting his inner king speak and making his parents proud.

"I'll come with you. I need to talk with Evie." Doug declared and Ben nodded.

"Son, if she feels up to it, we'll wait for you at our usual table for lunch." King beast told his son with a proud smile on his face.

"She seemed to like strawberries earlier, why don't we go and make sure we have some strawberry pie for her?" Belle suggested and her husband nodded, guiding her in the right direction.

Ben nodded and hurried, followed by Doug.

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They found the four friends in the girl's room. The door wasn't closed all the way and they were all quiet inside though there wasn't much tension. Apparently, Mal's burst of confessions had relieved the tension for everyone, even their own.

"Can I come in?" Ben asked, nodding on the door.

"Sure. We left the door open for you." Carlos' voice told him with a small smile.

Mal was on her bed, drying her tears while Jay was comforting Evie and Dude was at Mal's feet.

"How are you feeling?" Ben asked his girlfriend, sitting by her side.

"Is it weird that I actually feel better?" She asked him with a small smile.

"Not at all. You all got a weight off your shoulders, it's a good thing and it got everyone down there thinking. You have nothing to feel sorry about. I'm proud of you for being brave enough to say everything and I'm sure Fairy Godmother is too." Ben assured them.

Doug and Evie quickly left the room, soon followed by Jay and Carlos.

"I do feel sorry... I... There's something you need to know, about us." Mal told him, deciding that if she was coming clean about her life on the Isle, she could come clean about the love spell.

After all, she had cooked the anti-love spell the previous evening and it was ready. She took it out of the drawer she had kept it in and presented it to him.

"Are you about to tell me that you put a love spell on me so I would date you?" He asked her lightly.

"Yes, I... Wait, how do you know?" She asked him, surprised.

"Your spell washed off when I jumped in the Enchanted Lake." he explained.

"But, I... I'm sorry... I... What... Why didn't you say anything? Why did you keep on pretending it was on you?" She asked him, speaking quickly.

"First off, don't feel sorry, I get it. You had a crush on me and I was with Audrey, you didn't think it could happen on its own... I get it. You probably didn't think I'd think of you this way without a spell, or you simply didn't even think about asking me because that's not how you were raised to act. Don't worry, I get it." he told her with a smile.

"You do, really?" She asked him, surprised.

"Of course I do. And to answer your other question, I wasn't pretending anything. I was always sincere, Mal. From the moment I saw you... Now, do you feel well enough to join my parents for lunch or you'd rather we eat alone here?" he asked her, understanding that she wasn't ready to share her true feelings yet.

"Do you think they'll actually want to eat with me after my little scene?" She asked him doubtfully.

"I know they would. They know I love you and they would love to get to know you more." He assured her.

"If you're sure... Okay, let's go and eat with your parents." She nodded.

"Good. Though before we go I'd like to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?"

Mal hoped that he wasn't about to ask her if she loved him back. She was pretty sure she did but she didn't feel ready to tell him that at the moment.

"Would you wear my ring?" he asked her, showing her the ring he had on his right hand.

Mal knew what it meant. It was a statement that she was with him and that they were serious. Wearing it would be like telling him she loved him back without actually saying the words.

"I... Are you sure?" She asked him.

"Of course I'm sure, or I wouldn't ask." He smiled and there was so much love and hope in his eyes that she couldn't help but agree.

"Okay then I'd love to wear your ring." She nodded, letting him place it on her finger.

Since she still had the little box in her hands, Mal opened it.

"It's the anti love-spell potion. I was going to give it to you tomorrow, after the coronation." She explained.

"Well, there's no need for it now." he smiled before he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek, knowing that she wasn't ready for more.

On the way down, Ben told Mal how Prince Charming punished his son and how everyone looked sorry about the way they had acted toward them. Mal was pretty happy to find out how Chad would be punished, she thought that it was very fitting. Ben also told her that Audrey seemed to be getting scolded by her parents, something that had never happened to her so far.

"I'm sure your little scene will change everything and you know, when the vacations come, you won't have to go back to the Isle. Of course the school will be closed but we'll find a solution. You'll be able to come home with me and if your friends don't make other plans they'll be able to come with us too, don't worry. I'll make sure you're safe." he promised her before adding:

"I don't want you to think that you'll die soon, I won't let that happen. I wouldn't be able to handle it if you did, I won't let it happen, ever." His tone held a promise and made Mal feel better.

She trusted him. It was a strange feeling for her but she liked it. She loved Ben, he loved her back and she could trust him with her life.

Quickly, they arrived where the lunch was served and Mal was forced to realize that something had changed around her. People were smiling at her and Ben's parents were, truly, waiting for them around a table full of delicious looking food.

"So Mal, we've heard that you had a real talent for arts. Have you always had it?" Belle asked Mal to put her at ease and to show her that they were open to the idea of her dating their son.

They were actually proud of the way their son had handled things, he had proved to them that he was ready to be king and that they had done a good job raising him. Looking around them, Mal could see that most people were thoughtful. Carlos was eating with Jane and some of her friends while Jay was sitting with some other Tourney player and their families. Ben was right, her little scene had broken the ice between them and the other people of Auradon present. Things would be different now, better.

For the reminder of the afternoon, Mal got to know Ben's parents and was surprised when Ben started making plans to have food drives organized all over the kingdom and send good food on the Isle, for the children. They'd set up a kitchen in the school and it would cook, every day, even the weekend, 2 good healthy meals for the children that went to school. It was the best way he could think of, right now, to make sure the kids had it but that the adults didn't take it from them.

.

Two weeks later, the inhabitants of the Isle were able to witness as Auradon's guards came with a truck and quickly worked in the school to settle a working kitchen and enough tables and chairs for all the kids while posters announcing that every child would get two meals a day at the school, two healthy meals with good food. The posters made sure to mention that they only had it because Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay had advised King Ben and that more change would come later.

A few people from Auradon had offered to cook the meals and so, each day, they'd come on the Isle early with the fresh food to cook it and settle it, then they'd go back home. They'd do it in turns and the people of th Isle would have to keep the kitchen clean. They'd all be surprised, a few weeks later, to realize that the kids were cleaning it on their own, without complaining, because they were happy to have fresh meal and good food.

"Ben? I have the list you asked, you know, with the names of the next kids that should get the chance to come here." Evie told Ben a few more weeks later between classes while he enjoyed a rare moment of peace with his girlfriend.

"Thanks, I'll work on it tomorrow. We might not be able to get them all here in one go but why not by groups of four. get them here, wait a couple of months and if all goes well, get the next four here." Ben replied, taking the list.

"Could you, please, put Dizzy in the first group? Please?" Evie asked him as she pointed on the name on the list.

"Sure, of course." Ben nodded.

Evie finally left and ben was able to turn his attention back to Mal.

"Are you sure you don't mind coming with me to this function? And the one next week?" Ben asked her one more time.

"Of course not. If you want me there." She smiled.

"Of course I do." He smiled widely before he took a lock of her purple hair between his fingers and smiled again.

"I love your hair like this, I hope you know that."

"Really? you don't think i should fit in more and turn them blond or something? Because Audrey said something earlier today about me maybe putting shame on you by looking this way." Mal told him honestly.

"Audrey is just being jealous. She doesn't know what I like. I love you Mal, just the way you are. I love your purple hair, I absolutely love that you're letting them grow and I love when your adorable eyes turn green because you're doing a bit of magic. You're perfect just the way you are." He told her sincerely and it was hard for mal not to believe him.

"What if the people think that I'm not good enough for you and turn against you because of me?" She asked him in a small voice.

"That's impossible because you are good enough for me, even my parents think so. I know that you're struggling a bit about being part Isle but it's part of who you are and it's what's going to help us create a better future for everyone. I know who you are Mal, I've known all along and you are exactly the one I want and the one I need. I love you." Ben told her, as sincerely as he could, to try and convince her of this fact.

"I... You do know me." She smiled before she took a big breath and added:

"I love you too. You're right, I was afraid..."

"You have nothing to be afraid of, just be yourself and remember that I love you and that you are perfect just the way you are. I believe in you." Ben told her.

Mal couldn't answer but she was so moved by what Ben had just told her that, for the first time since the beginning of their relationship, she kissed him on the lips and allowed them to exchange their first kiss.

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Since Mal did well on the two functions Ben took her to and seemed to be accepted by everyone, he decided to take her with him every time he could and, soon, they were planning a cotillion that would celebrate Mal becoming an official lady of the court, his lady. Ben couldn't think of anyone else for him, he couldn't even consider being with Audrey. Mal was the one he loved, truly loved, and she was perfect for him. She loved him back, she kept him grounded and they made each other happy.

The people quickly accepted Mal and grew to love her as well. When they learned that she loved strawberries, people who grew them started to send her baskets full of them. She got so many that she decided to send some to the isle, to the children of the school. Every reporter waited to see what Mal wore during important functions and every time, Evie got more orders for dresses, gowns, and even suits for men.

Evie grew quickly famous for her dresses and as soon as little Dizzy arrived, they worked together and the young girl's accessories came with Evie's dress and made everything perfect. They worked so much over the year that they were able to rent a little place during the summer and make it their home and creative studio. Doug helped a lot too, mostly with the paperwork and making sure they got paid.

Over the summer, Mal was invited to stay a Beast Castle, as Ben's Lady. Since she didn't have a home of her own, they figured it would be fore the best and she liked it, at least she was close to Ben. They had settled a room for her and she used it whenever she and Ben weren't traveling away but she barely got to use it as Ben and her were busy traveling all over the kingdom and visiting other kingdoms as well. Belle had spent an entire day shopping with Mal to personalize her bedroom, insisting that she could get whatever she wanted and that they wanted her to feel like it was her home. The gesture touched Mal and she realized, after seeing the finished decoration, that she had changed because the room, that she now loved, was not something she would have chosen a year ago.

Mal was well accepted now and people rarely ever mentioned her mother anymore. They had grown to respect her for who she was, even though she could turn into a large dragon when she wanted to. They weren't afraid of her and ben was happy because the girl he loved had finally opened up to him and they trusted each other completely.

A bit longer, more facts that I learned in the books, a few things from the second movie, my own wishes and here you go, the second version is here. I hope you'll like it as much as the first one.

Review please?

Lorelei Candice Black