chapter eight
tale as old as time

The five villain kids had dressed in their nicest clothes for Auradon Prep's family day. They watched from a balcony as some of the Students including Ben performed a rendition of Be Our Guest for the guests in the lovely garden. They walked through the crowd of dancing guests, saying hi to some of the other students who greeted them first.

The VK's went immediately to the food displays, Scarlett snatching a blackberry. She clapped as the song ended. Carlos gave Dude over to Evie to hold as he and Jay got into the chocolate fondue fountain, ignoring the fruit and sweets to dip into it and instead just using their fingers and mouth to slurp up the chocolate.

Ben approached his parents and hugged him, complimenting the performance to set up the day. "That was so lovely!"

The family of three moved under a gondola to take a family photo. The photographer held up the camera as Ben squeezed in between his two parents before Ben remembered to tell them something.

"Oh. By the way, I have a new girlfriend."

Belle let out a sigh of relief, turning to the photographer to pose with a smile as did the other two. "Well, I never wanted to say anything, but I always thought that Audrey was a little self-absorbed with a fake smile and kind of a kiss-up."

"Do we know your new girlfriend?" Beast asked his son.

"On the count of three. One, two..."

"Well, sort of." Ben's eyes searched the crowd of people before landing on the girl he was searching for stood with her friends. "Scarlett!"

Belle's and Beast's jaw's dropped in shock as the photographer snapped the picture.

"Scarlett?" Ben stepped off the gondola now that the picture was done, greeting his approaching girlfriend who wrapped her arms around him. "I wanna introduce you to my parents." Scarlett enveloped their hands together, hugging onto his arm as they turned to his parents who had trouble hiding their shock and fright. "This is Scarlett. From the island. My girlfriend."

"Hi." Belle's eyes blew wide and she plastered one large grin, however fake it may have been. Beast simply waved in greeting, still having trouble processing this new information.

"Hi." Scarlett smiled politely at the two adults. Ben quickly interjected to save them all from the awkwardness about to ensue, "I was thinking maybe she can join us for lunch.

"Of course, any friend of Ben's..." Beast smiled cautiously.

"Oh, I actually came with my friends."

Belle nodded, swallowing thickly, "Well, you should invite them." They all glanced back to the other VK's where Evie snuggled Dude, waving with a sweet smile, and the two boys mouth's covered in chocolate as they still dug into the chocolate fountain, even Mal was noting herself by snacking on a strawberry. "Because the more the merrier!"

Scarlett nodded happily. "Okay, I'll go grab them."

"How about a game of croquet before lunch?" Beast suggested, stopping her.

"Of course."

"Game on." Ben fist bumped his father before wrapping his arm around Scarlett's shoulder's stirring her away from them. "Have to played before?"

"Nope."

"No? You will."

Belle and Beast sighed dramatically as they watched the two walk off. Belle almost passed out but Beast caught her in his arms, helping her stand upright.

Scarlett didn't know much about croquet but she was enjoying it a lot. Surprisingly, she was actually very good at it. Carlos was just chasing Dude around the courtyard as the rest of them played. Evie was chatting with Belle along the sides. Ben was teaching Jay how to play, the two laughing when he caught along very quick.

Scarlett was stood to the side, waiting for her turn with a smile as she watched the other VK's blend in and enjoy the day. Scarlett turned her head to the side when an older woman with blonde curls of air approached her.

"Hello there." The woman greeted her with a smile.

"Hi."

The woman walked over to her other side, analyzing the girl. "Now, have we met?"

"No, I don't think so." Scarlett shook her head with newfound politeness, getting the impression this woman felt familiar to her. "I'm new. I'm sort of like a transfer student."

"Ah."

"Aunt Sarabi." Scarlett frowned when Audrey approached the woman on her other side.

The woman's expression lit up, kissing Audrey on her cheeks. "Oh, Audrey! Give your Aunt a kiss, dear."

"Aunt?" Scarlett questioned with confusion.

Audrey's lips pulled into a scowl when she saw Scarlett stood beside her Aunt. "Simba's Mother. Aunt Sarabi, I don't think you want to be talking to this girl. Unless you feel like losing your next husband and Simba all over again."

"What?" The woman's eyes narrowed onto Scarlett, gasping loudly when she finally realized why Scarlett looked so family. "You!" This gained the attention of everyone else in the dooryard. Sarahi's eyes widened as she glanced the girl up and down. "How are you here? How have you stayed so young? And how are you now a female?"

Ben came up behind Scarlett, hugging her into his chest as the VK's came up behind him whilst Chad and the other Auradon kids came up behind Audrey and her Aunt. "Queen Sarabi, it's okay. Scar is still on the island. This is his daughter, Scarlett. Don't you remember my proclamation to give the new generation a chance?"

"A chance to what, Ben? Destroy us?" Sarabi inquired disbelief, glancing behind her to the Fairy Godmother than to Belle and Beast. "Come on. You remember, don't you? The poison apples. And the spells. Spells." Sarabi turned to Scarlett's who frowned deeply as the woman took her anger directed towards her Father on her. "My son was raised by other creatures because your father killed my husband and banished him from the pride lands. So, his growth, his first love, I missed it all! You mustn't trust her." Sarabi turned to Fairy Godmother.

Scarlett took a step closer with sadness to apologize to the grieving woman. "Hey, I'm so..."

"Go away! Stay away from her!" Chad stepped in front of Sarabi, forcing Scarlett back. Ben stepped in front of Scarlett protectively, saying to his friend, "Don't do this, Chad."

"What? They were raised by their parents, Ben. What do you think villains teach their kids? Huh? No way, okay? Nu-Huh." Chad placed his head on his hip as he pointed at Scarlett. "You stole another girl's boyfriend."

"Hey, hey!" Ben defended his girlfriend, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

Chad then pointed to Jay behind them. "You enjoy hurting people." He then pointed to Mal. "You use spells." Chad then looked at Evie with disgust. "And you, you're nothing but a gold digger and a cheater."

Evie stepped closer, procuring her magic mirror from her bag and holding it up by her mouth. "Mirror, mirror, in my hand, who's the biggest jerk in the land?" Evie showed him his one reflection staring back at him.

"What! Come on!" Chad swiped Evie's hand away, almost taking her down with it.

"Back off, Chad!" Jay grabbed him by his collar as everyone yelled for them to stop. Evie pulled out the perfume bottle Mal gave her, spraying it two times in Chad's face. The Charming Prince fainted, falling into his friends arms behind him as Ben held Jay back from fighting the unconscious boy.

"Come on, Scarlett." Mal grabbed Scarlett's hand, who was in shock, dragging her away from the courtyard with the other VK's following after them.

"Guys!" Ben called out after them, watching as they fled the scene.

Later that day, the VK's sat at one of the picnic tables in a different courtyard, try's of uneaten food laid out in front of them. They all frowned and grumbled in their self-pity, realizing no one here would accept them. The other Auradon kids, including an awake Chad sat at the table behind them, laughing and chatting with each other.

"Hey, guys." Ben waltzed up to the moody and sulking teenagers. "How is everyone? Yeah?" He pursed his lips when he got no pause of recognition to his question and eyes remained on the ground. "Hey, listen. Forget about it. All right? It was nothing. Forget about it. Let it go." Scarlett frowned as Ben stood behind her, running his hands up and down her shoulders soothingly. "Tomorrow, after the coronation, I promise everything will be okay." He leaned down to whisper into her ear. "I have to go. I'll see you guys later." He kissed her on the side of her head leaving.

Doug immediately approached Evie, previously pacing to decide his best coarse of action. "Listen, Evie, I wanna talk about earlier today. I just..."

"Doug." Chad warned him, standing to his feet.

Evie shook her head, "It's my fault, Doug. I'm so sorry."

"No, it's mine."

"Doug!"

"What?"

"Doug..." Evie pleaded.

Doig sorrowfully took steps backwards to the other picnic table. "Sorry. I can't." He sat down at the table. Evie pushed her tray of uneaten food back with anger.

Scarlett's shoulders tensed when she heard Audrey and Jane passing by her from behind. "How long does she think that's gonna last? Scarlett is just the bad girl infatuation." Audrey giggled.

"Yeah." Jane leaned her head over Scarlett's shoulder, a new menacing and evil like side to her now that she hunt out with the popular kids. "I mean, he's never gonna make a villain a queen." Jane and Audrey laughed hysterically as they joined the other girls.

Mal's gaze hardened when she saw Scarlett's claws extend and dig into the picnic table, chilling the painted blue on it. Her canines sparkled when a low growl emitted form her lips. She was trying everything to stop from the primal animal in her wanting to rip their heads off.

Mal took matters into her own hands, flipping her spell book open with no emotion. "Beware, forswear, undo Jane's hair." With a few quick finger motions in the air, Scarlett heard Jane scream in horror behind them.

The other girls laughed, quickly turning on their friend who now had a bob hair cut and a big purple bow headband. All their heads snapped towards the VK's who stood up form their seats wickedly, no fake smiles on their faces.

"There's a lot more where that came from." Mal told them.

"Excuse me, who do you think you are?" Audrey had the audacity to question her, hand placed on her hip as if she were more threatening than the villain kids.

Scarlett stepped in front of Mal, jaw cracking open, razor sharp canines barred towards the group of princess's and princes, hands raising above her head with her claws extended out to the maximum, a mix of a hiss and growl noise leaving her lips, and her eyes turning a cat-like green. The girl's took a step back in fright at her true animalistic nature.

The Daughter of Scar.

"Does it look like we're kidding?" Scarlett growled. She released a loud lioness roar from her mouth. The group of do-gooder's scrambled with each other and ran off in fright of her wrath.

She whipped wound to face her friends either a new determined look on her features, claws reverting back into her nail beds and her eyes returning to their normal brown hue.

"I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Let's grab that wand and blow this popsicle stand."

They all shared the same look as they strutted away to prepare for villain takeover in Auradon.