𝕲uilt was the worst feeling they've ever felt, bearing the burden over the shoulders of those who played with fire. Playing as a friend and a traitor in a world where they struggled to find their place, the villain kids knew only one thing acceptable: villains would rule Auradon.

A revolution begins with four villain descendants. They were meant to be a change for their people, save them from the embarrassing imprisonment the royalties had thrown them in. Children of Maleficent, Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil, each dangerous and unmentally stable, destined to bring Auradon to its knees; however, the taste of freedom was starting to change the children's minds.

These thoughts would have them punished for their hesitance and disloyalty to their parents, and while some are worse than others, neither of the children wants to feel their parents' wrath. It was up to Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos to get their hands on the most powerful wand in the land and cast a spell so powerful it would bring down the barrier that disconnected the Isle from Auradon. With their escape, every villain was free to do whatever they wanted, and reining hell on Auradon was the ultimate goal.

But the thought of following their parents' footsteps sounded far from what they wanted. Evie enjoys having friends who genuinely enjoy her company and being able to focus on her academics rather than looking for a potential husband. Evie was proud and had never felt that way when she let herself work toward a goal, seeking the best grades and showing off her knowledge. Evie might've been taught that she must always look presentable just in case a prince stumbles in her path, seeking a doting wife as beautiful and taskful as she; however, Evie learned that she's more than just her pretty face.

It started to cross Evie's mind more often than she liked to admit, constantly second-guessing her choices, wondering if what they were doing was what they wanted, but it wouldn't matter because it wasn't up to Evie, nor the others, to decide anything. They have to go through with their parent's plans because if not, chances are--well, Evie doesn't want to know.

On top of everything they'd been stressed about, Coronation was getting closer and closer with each day, and the group was starting to grow tense. Everyone was feeling it, but no one bothered to speak up about it; they either knew they weren't in the plan as they originally planned, or neither of them wanted to be the first to admit to their true desires. Evie sure wasn't.

Unfortunately for them, Family Day was just around the corner, forcing the teens to speed up the process of their dreaded plan. And to make their day worse, Fairy Godmother granted them a short video call with their parents, which Evie immediately dreaded.

"Children, excuse me," Fairy Godmother quickly grabbed the villain kids' attention. While Fairy Godmother presented a cheerful smile, deep down, the woman felt awkward. "Um, as you know, uh, this Sunday is Family Day here at Auradon Prep. And because your parents can't be here due to, uh . . . distance--" Fairy Godmother laughed drily but was slightly relieved by their gentle grins. "We've arranged for a special treat."

Evie and Mal glanced at one another, and though they exchanged small smiles, neither of them was particularly happy about this arrangement. Sure, they missed their parents, maybe not too much, but they already knew how this would go.

Fairy Godmother skipped to the TV on the rolling cart in the front of the classroom, clicking a button to reveal four iconic villains. Not to Fairy Godmother's surprise, Maleficent was sitting right in front of the camera, practically staring into her soul as she inspected her end of the screen. Maleficent looked lost and confused, growing angrier by the second.

"I don't see anything, nor do I hear," Maleficent complained to her annoying companions.

With a gleeful smile, Fairy Godmother beckoned the four students over. "Kids!"

As they were reluctant to see their parents, Evie and the crew slowly rose from their seats, dragging their feet toward the monitor. Even during a moment of tenderness and greetings, each of their parents bickered and complained to one another, yelling at the screen as they frustratedly tried to figure out how to make the monitor show. Embarrassed with Fairy Godmother in the room, witnessing their parents' attitude, they hoped to shrug it off.

While Evie plastered a sheepish smile, Mal pinched her lips together; Carlos cradled Dude in his arms for comfort, and Jay looked uncomfortable.

"Evie, it's Mommy!" Evil Queen cried from behind Maleficent's horns. "Oh! Look how beautiful. You know what they say, the poison apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Evie bowed her head as she waved meekly at her mother, feeling everyone's gaze slowly turned to her. At the sudden attention switching to her, Evie felt the heat burning at her ears; as quickly as it came, Evie willed her crimson cheeks to settle down and brush off her awkwardness.

Maleficent rolls her eyes, smacking at Evil Queen's hands. "Don't you mean the weeds?"

Cruella shrieked out of nowhere. "Ooh! Who's the old bat?"

Fairy Godmother's cheery smile dropped into a grimace, staring blankly at Cruella for her unneeded comment.

However, Mal wasn't expecting something like that, but figured it would; she shouldn't be as surprised as she was, considering their parents had no filter. Each of their parents had beef with the Fairy Godmother, regardless of who was the one who imprisoned them.

Mal attempted to ease the tension as she cracked a smile, eyeing their parents warily. "This is Fairy Godmother," she introduced.

Maleficent tipped her head at an angle as she cocked a lopsided grin. "Still doing tricks with eggplants?"

The Villains burst into a fit of laughter, amused by their mockery; they were given a chance to face Fairy Godmother for another time, and they would use this opportunity to send a few jabs at the woman. Call Maleficent petty because she loves it, but she wouldn't miss a perfectly good opportunity to insult Fairy Godmother for her ridiculous spells.

But while the Villains were too focused on insulting Fairy Godmother, they ignored their children, who looked uncomfortable with the interaction. If they would let the ground swallow them up, they would. Evie glanced at her friends, and not to her surprise, they were just as upset as she was. Their parents could care less about how they were doing in Auradon and were more aware of their plans, yet rather poke fun at Fairy Godmother.

Even if they didn't start off on the right foot, each of them felt guilty for the way their parents were disrespecting Fairy Godmother so effortlessly. It was as if they didn't care that they were embarrassing their children, nor were they bothered to catch up with them; it hadn't dawned on them before, but now, they were becoming more aware of how their parents treated them, how they must feel about them. They were nothing but a tool to their plans.

"I turned a pumpkin into a beautiful carriage," Fairy Godmother argued defensively.

Maleficent snorted. "You really couldn't give Cinderella till one A.M.? I mean, really," she earned a few laughs. "What, the hamsters had to be back on their little wheels?"

"They were mice!" Fairy Godmother defended. She turned around to the group. "They were not . . . they were mice. They were not . . ."

Jay closed his eyes and sighed to himself, disappointed in all of their parents. He couldn't believe they used their family time to bicker and mock Fairy Godmother. But they immediately assured Fairy Godmother, silently apologizing for their parent's behaviors; Jay could barely look at the monitor.

Eventually, Fairy Godmother got the last word as she asserted herself, arguing once more that they were, in fact, mice; finally, Fairy Godmother moved out of view and gave the group a better chance at speaking with their parents without her in the camera, hoping they have a better conversation than she did. But without leaving the room, Fairy Godmother stood right next to the cart, barely giving them any privacy for obvious reasons--not that any of them blamed her.

"Hi, Mom," Mal greeted with a chirpy tone, aware of Fairy Godmother's listening ears.

Maleficent gasped as if she finally noticed her daughter. "Mal!" screamed the dark fairy, but reminded herself of Fairy Godmother's snooping somewhere. "I m-m-" Maleficent struggled to form the words as if they were foreign, but in this case, it was. The words tasted metallic on her tongue; it felt weird and wrong. However, an encouraging smack to the back of her head fixed her language. "Miss you!"

Carlos and Jay jumped at the sound of the evil fairy's voice cutting through the silence, and Evie and Mal covered it with a smile; they couldn't hide their discomfort even if they tried. But they pretended to enjoy their parents' company, while their parents had to act as if they missed their only child. If Fairy Godmother were an attentive woman, then it wouldn't take long before she figured it out; it wasn't hard to see that, on the Isle, the children didn't grow up with loving and adoring parents. Only a few were given that one-in-a-million chance, but most were left with neglectful, hateful, and vengeful parents.

"You children are never far from our thoughts," Jafar interjected, flashing an award-winning smile as he and Cruella waved at the camera.

Jay flashed his dad a pressed smile, barely meeting his gaze before looking anywhere on the monitor. He used to respect Jafar and look up to that man, but after everything he'd experienced, Jay couldn't look Jafar in the eyes, knowing they weren't the same. Jay met someone who's shown so much good in the world and made him feel like a person rather than the sneaky thief he was raised as.

"I got it," Mal clipped, hoping they would cut the act.

"How long must Mommy wait to see you?"

Mal crossed her arms, feeling closed off by their interaction. "Um, there's a big coronation coming up. I think sometime probably after . . . that."

"When?" Maleficent urged.

"Friday," Mal chirped with a forced smile, trying to distract herself. Truthfully, Mal dreaded this long-awaited chat, knowing it would only be full of talking about their plan. Mal couldn't comprehend her feelings, but she wanted this chat to end quickly. "Ten A.M."

However, Maleficent appreciated the wait, and her eyes widened with frustration. "You sure I can't see you before that?" She asked a little too cheerfully. Maleficent didn't have a single nice bone in her body, and pretending to be an extra-loving mother. "I don't know what I'll do if I don't get my hands on that magic wan--you . . . you little nugget that I love so much!"

At Maleficent's quick save, Jafar and Cruella covered it up by smiling lovingly at each of their children.

Mal smiles through her bitterness. "Yes, I completely understand, Mother."

But then, Cruella perked up. "Carlos, is that a dog?" the crazy woman screeched. Each teen visibly tensed, knowing how manipulative Cruella is toward Carlos. It was so noticeable that Jay closed his eyes, awaiting the woman's screeching. "Yes, yes, baby, I do understand. It would make the perfect size for earmuffs."

Instead of cowering and letting his mother walk over him, Carlos had enough; the youngest stepped in front of Mal and Jay, setting his foot down. "He's the perfect size for a pet," she snipped, taking everyone by surprise. "This dog loves me, and I love him. And FIY, your dog is stuffed! So give it a rest."

Like a wounded dog, Cruella winced in disbelief; Cruella didn't think Carlos would have it in him ever to confront her the way he did, knowing that had he ever done it to her face, she would put him in his place. Carlos had always been compliant and listened to her rules, believing all the tales she would tell to force him to comply. With Carlos being so far away, Cruella felt like she had lost control of her son.

Jafar boomed with laughter, showing no remorse as he laughed in Cruella's face. As a result, they broke into another verbal fight; Cruella and Jafar threw insults at one another while Evil Queen watched on, a little amused by their bickering, but Maleficent was stuck between their childish fight. While they continued to shout insults at one another, they brushed the children aside, leaving them even more embarrassed than before.

Fairy Godmother witnessed firsthand just how unstable their parents were and how easily they fought; not once did either of them bother to ask their children how they were doing in school or what they'd accomplished. There were no exchanges of sweet compliments and encouragement for their work; they were too engrossed with themselves.

Evie was visibly hurt by her mother, feeling like the woman could care less about her daughter if she hadn't returned with a potential suitor. With no news of finding a prince, Evil Queen would care about nothing of Evie's achievements. Don't get her started on how she'd been playing with a prince, a half-glass-full type of guy, but Evie would never tell her mother about that.

Jay glanced at his friend with hurt eyes, but seeing how distraught they looked as their parents didn't seem bothered by their company, Jay reached forward and ended the call. Jay did them a favor by ending the call, relieving him and his friends of the expectations held over them by their parents, who could care less about them. Jay hated how he felt in that moment under their parents' harsh stares, pretending to miss and care about them when, in reality, they never did. Jay doesn't recall when his father told him he loved him.

Fairy Godmother felt too shy to speak up, sensing the shift in the air. "I'm so sorry," she apologized softly.

She blames herself for putting them through that rough conversation, but Fairy Godmother suspected they would've wanted to see their parents. Fairy Godmother is aware of the Villain's crimes, but she hopes they had an ounce of love for their children, but that was hard to listen to.

However, Jay posed as the strong one of the group, mustering a smile of gratitude. "Thanks for the special treat," he said genuinely, but there was a hint of sadness clinging to his words.

☼☼☼

"Okay, we all know what this looks like," Mal gestured to the magic wand she drew a few days ago, then pointed at the school's layout. "So, it'll be up on the dais, under Beast's spell jar, and we'll be coming in from here. I will be in the very front." Then, Mal flicks her eyes to Jay, eyeing him as if she could read him. "Did you ask Rilynn?"

Jay perked at the mention of the golden-haired princess that stole his attention, taken off-guard for a moment after his daze. Jay looked between Mal, Evie, and Carlos, finding himself underneath each of their gazes.

Reluctantly, Jay nodded stiffly as his gaze peeled away, staring coldly at the drawing of the wand. "Yeah," he voiced roughly. Jay hated this feeling creeping up his neck, knowing what they were about to do would change everything. "I'll be up front, too."

Mal merely stares at Jay's tense figure with a knowing feeling, but she shoves it down and forces it away. They could relate to how they felt about this portion of the plan: using two charming people who trusted them without hesitation, all for their parents' sake. However, Mal couldn't afford to let her emotions get the better of her; being their unofficial leader, Mal needed to keep themselves on track. With possibly their lives on the line, Mal understood the importance of saving themselves.

Brushing it aside, Mal carried on. "Great," she started with a monotonous voice. Mal shifted her gaze between Evie and Carlos. "That leaves you two up on the balcony. Carlos?"

"Okay, so I'll find our limo so we can break the barrier and, uh, get back on the island with the wand," Carlos reiterates weakly.

"Perfect," Mal turns to Evie. "Evie?" As Evie chirped timidly in response, Mal picked up a small bottle that resembled a woman's perfume, looking harmless to everyone; however, Mal had masterfully crafted the perfect potion that would be useful for them. "You will use this to take out the driver. Two sprays, and he'll be out like a light. If anyone tries to get in our way, use this wisely."

Evie nods. "Okay."

And then, utter silence fell upon them; everyone stood around the round table without so much of a whisper, staring amongst another with straggling eyes. No one could bother to meet one another's gaze because they would reveal their reluctance and true feelings regarding the plan. Evie could tell when she looked at Mal, and the girl looked away, or when she checked on Jay for reassurance, but he turned around; Carlos cuddled with Dude, seeking comfort for his nerves.

But no one bothered to speak up, and Evie left it as that; they were going to go through with their plans, even if they knew, deep down, it didn't feel right anymore. Evie sighed to herself as she cradled the potion in her hands delicately, staring hard at the object. Evie had to brace herself for when the moment came, the evil princess would be forced to spray the potion at anyone and everyone who tried to stop them.

Evie goes to collect her thoughts, but at the edge of her peripheral, Evie catches a quick glimpse of Mal's spellbook. Had she read that right? Wanting to confirm her doubts, Evie glanced over Mal's shoulder and read the spellbook, taken aback.

"M?" Evie furrowed her brows as she stared at the spellbook, feeling Mal's gaze lift to her. "You want to break Ben's love spell?"

Like a child caught, Mal wasn't expecting anyone to notice what she'd been doing. "Yeah. You know, for after," she played off like it was nothing, hoping it would reassure Evie to move along; however, Evie planted herself in the empty seat beside Mal, puzzled yet intrigued. "I don't . . . I've just been thinking, you know, when the Villains finally do invade Auradon, and begin to look and kick everyone out of their castles and imprison their leaders, and destroy all that is good and beautiful." Mal paused thoughtfully. "Ben still being in love with me just seems a little extra . . . cruel."

Feeling too vulnerable around her growing friends, Mal smacked her spellbook shut before roughly standing up; Mal took her book and stormed out of the room, unable to compose herself in front of people. She didn't like feeling this way--feeling in general. Mal didn't like it one bit. She thought it was all fun and games, but after getting to know Ben and developing these strange feelings, Mal doesn't know how to cope with it.

Evie could tell because they'd never been considered friends back on the Isle; while they hung out as a small crew, Evie didn't remember a time either of them regarded each other as friends. Their parents formed them together, and sure, their dynamic managed to place them on the top of the pyramid, but no one had either of them cared for each other. Evie realizes she cares a lot for her friends, and she feels this unnerving urge to protect them at all costs.

The silence carried heavily in the room between the remaining three; Evie stayed glued to the chair as she fiddled with her nails anxiously, and Carlos and Jay kept to themselves in their respective beds. Carlos pet Dude to distract himself from the uncomfortable silence while Jay fiddled with his tourney paddle. It was like no one could muster up the words they were dying to say, afraid of admitting what they truly wanted for themselves.

Evie tapped her shoes before she couldn't hold them in. "Are we making the right choice?" she breathed as if she'd been holding her breath. Evie sighed as she turned her body, brows furrowed worriedly. "This is what we wanted, right?"

Jay looked up from staring at the wall, finding Evie's stressed eyes. "I don't know how to answer that, Evie," Jay answered honestly.

Not wanting to hear that, Evie dropped her head into her hands. "If we go through with this, so much will change," she almost whispered; realization dawned on her. Gathering her thoughts and pulling herself together, Evie flashed Carlos and Jay a small smile. "I'm gonna head off to bed. I'll see you guys later."

"Night," Carlos bid under his breath.

It wasn't until later that night when slumber seemed to slip away, leaving them all to climb into their thoughts and comprehend what they were putting on the line.

For once in Jay's life, he found a team he could rely on; he earned and gained their trust, and with that, Jay knew they would have his back if he needed them. That was so unlike what he learned back on the Isle. Jay knew he couldn't count on anyone but himself to have his back, and for that, the son of a thief couldn't trust anyone. Winning his very first trophy, knowing he became a team player was . . . a whole other feeling. But the tiny black dragon on his dresser had Jay flushing to himself, grateful that it was dark and Carlos was facing the other direction.

It took a lot for Jay to trust a group of guys to work together, but when he's with Rilynn, she makes him feel like a better person. Never had Jay felt this way about a girl, but he didn't know how to put it into words; Jay knew he felt a certain way for the soft princess, like fondness for her. Her odd optimism, her boosting smile, and Rilynn's bubbles of giggles might've given Jay butterflies in his stomach. He even enjoys how she reacts when he does something embarrassing or discovers something he'd never seen before; Rilynn had never judged him for anything but encouraged him to learn more.

Jay knew he needed to ask himself if this would all be worth it in the end; after what was about to happen, Jay needed to remind himself that this would ruin the friendships and trusts he built in his time at Auradon. His team's loyalty will be destroyed, and his friendship with Rilynn will be broken.

Was it worth losing everything?