You bring out the worst in me;
Summary; The Auardon kids get tired of waiting for their parents to do the right thing. So they decide to take things into their own hands-- to take over.
Trigger warning; abuse, neglect, murder, sexism, and homophobia mentioned.
🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
The Aks (Auardon kids) had known ever since they were little that something had to change. That the system was flawed and needed to be fixed. That Auardon wasn't the perfect place it pretended to be -- far from it, in fact-- but when they pointed it out to their families, they were just brushed off. One by one, each kid was blown off by each and every member of their families. Dismissed like they were nothing more than mindless zombies or impotent toddlers. When the kids pushed, they were met with anger and defensiveness -- as they usually were when they questioned their parents/adults or had a different view about things.
"Stop back talking, Chadwick!"
"The kids are fine, now drop it!"
"Benjamin, I don't want to hear another word about this. Drop it or else"
"you're wrong. You'll see that when you're older"
Their parents either turned into the very thing they hated, turned into their parents, or in some cases, never changed at all. Some were even too cowardly to do anything. The kids noticed it pretty early on, how unfair it truly was-- even if their parents didn't. The kids of Auardon all knew that their parents had become complient in their new lives and had forgotten their roots. Too caught up in their own lives to see just how truly flawed Auardon was.
Too busy running kingdoms, partying, and going on dates, and keeping their children in line to see everything wrong with their kingdom. The sexism. The racism. The anti-magic sentiment that harmed far too many magic users. The homophobia. The bullying. The favoritism most adults showed to the royal, talented, and good looking kids. Too busy to notice or care how the 'ordinary ', 'ugly', or 'boring' kids were treated just because they weren't how people thought they should be. Not girly enough. Not sporty enough. Not smart enough. Not a prince or princess. Not pretty enough. Not talented enough. They didn't care or notice how their strict gender roles and rules were hurting their kids. They didn't realize that they were hurting their kids. Or maybe they just didn't care. Just like how they didn't care about the kids of the isle.
"No, girls aren't allowed on the swords and shields team"
"Boys shouldn't paint their nails. It's not manly"
"You're too old for toys"
"Not now Doug, I'm talking to Derek"
"Can't go. I have a party to attend"
"You can tuck yourself in"
"you're too old for accidents"
"stop this tantrum at once"
"why can't you be more like your brother?"
"Stand up straight Jane. No magic"
They didn't care about the kids who were trapped with abusers, murderers, and the other scum of the earth. Didn't care that kids were dying every day in various different, painful ways. The older kids had noticed it first and had fought it venomously, but in the end they hadn't really been able to to change anything by themselves. There weren't enough of them. So, they decided to wait for more kids to be born so they'd have more allies to aid them in the fight for change. But by the time the younger kids were born, the older ones had mostly lost their spirits and retreated from the world-- becoming hermits. All because of their parents.
"Stay away from the sea, Melody"
"Leave your mother alone, Zephyr "
"Get a hold of yourself, Gordon!"
Jane, Opal, Jordan, & Ruby, along with several other kids, were deprived of their magic. Deprived of their birthright! Told it was the way of the past despite the fact that their parents still used their powers whenever they wanted without punishment. Unlike the kids who would be punished severely for it if they were even caught with a magical book. Their cries of pain that came with not being able to use the magic that ran through their veins were ignored. Jane and Doug and other kids with autism and other disabilities were treated like they were stupid, ignored, or forced to live without the accommodations that they so desperately needed because their parents refused to admit or acknowledge that they needed them. They were called lazy and ungrateful.
"I don't want any excuses!"
The wonderland kids were treated harshly because of their extravagant world and put into separate classes. All so that they 'wouldn't cause any trouble with their oddness'. Ally rarely saw her friends from home anymore and couldn't even call or skype them. The Tweedledum & Tweedleedee cousins rarely saw eachother at all during the school year. Their parents did nothing. They couldn't do anything without a war being started between the two kingdoms. Carina Potts and all of the dwarves' children were often overlooked because their parents were just sidekicks and not royals or heroes. If you weren't the kid of a royal or a hero or a god, then you weren't important enough to get attention. They got bullied and mocked constantly by their peers and even adults--teachers who paid the bullying no mind and did nothing or encouraged it-- and their educations began to decline because of it.
"You don't need to see them"
"Do something, I dare you"
"All you ever do is cause trouble"
Herkie and other demigods, as well as other enhanced individuals, weren't allowed to participate in anything because of their abilities. Because their godly heritage was an 'Unfair' advantage. They weren't even allowed to play with the other kids, even when the other kids insisted that It'd be fine. That they didn't mind and the godly kids would be careful. All because it was 'too risky' and a 'safety hazard ' and a 'lawsuit waiting to happen'. The Godly and enhanced kids grew depressed, bitter, and resentful. Especially since their parents didn't seem to care or mind the mistreatment at all-- well, except for Persephone. It really seemed the only ones backing them were Coach Jenkins and the other kids, which sadly got them nowhere because no one valued their opinions/views.
Artie was expected to be just as good as his father and to only like 'manly' things, being 'disciplined' when he showed interest in anything feminine. His problems and interests were completely disregarded otherwise. Arabella (Ariel's niece) and other mermaid kids weren't allowed to swim or transform at school-- even though it caused them a great deal of pain-- just like Melody, Finn, Stormy, and Marina hadn't been. Ruby, her sister (Anxelin), Aziz, Haul Scarlet, and Bobby were always blamed for anything that went wrong -- especially if things went missing-- because their dads had all been thieves. Tiger Peony and the other kids of Neverland were treated with ignorance, suspicion, and rudeness. Jokes about their parents stealing children circulated all over likes rumors but were taken as fact. Though to be fair, it wasn't just them being treated this way. No, all Neverlandians in general were treated like that-- even the Darlings were, regardless of the fact that they hadn't returned to Neverland in ages. They were all tormented by Auardon citizens from all over, constantly insulting them. Constantly calling them childish and commenting on how they never want to grow up and act like adults. Even though quite a few of the Neverlandians had done just that-- which was proven by The Darling Children and Tiger Peony's mere existence. They wouldn't have existed if what the Auardonians said was true but no one (adult) seemed to realize that. No, instead they just thought that everyone from Neverland was like that. That it was a land of mindless children and only children. Nevermind the fact that there were plenty of adults residing there. All they ever saw were a bunch of stubborn, dumb children stuck in their old, stubborn ways. Too blind to the truth.
Then there was Pin, who was treated like a 2nd class citizen and an object. All because his dad had been created by hand instead of the old fashioned way. All because his dad had started out as nothing more than a doll. Doesn't matter that he had been born human -- born flesh and blood like everyone else. Because in Auardon's eyes he would always be just a doll-- even if he wasn't one. His dad would always be just a doll, even though he had spent more time as a human than as a puppet. His mom would always be known as the woman who married and fucked a doll. And his granddad would always be the crazy old man who thought raising a lying doll made him a parent. Even though none of that was true. Pin was often told that he wasn't a real person. That he didn't matter. That his dad didn't matter and that he could turned into a puppet at anytime just like his dad. Told that he didn't deserve to live at all. And no one but the other children seemed to care that it wasn't true at all. No one but the children (and Coach Jenkins) deemed it wrong that their parents and other adults considered him more of a toy than a playmate. And that they never seemed to take Pin seriously about his dreams and ambitions. They all believed that a liar wouldn't get anywhere in life, despite the fact that Pin wasn't one. No adult believed that Pin was an honest guy other than his family all because of his dad's reputation and they all suffered greatly for it. At some point, Pin got a new aspiration-- a new dream; he aspired to make everyone who saw him and his family as less as pay. No matter the cost.
Li Shang Jr and Lonnie were held up to impossibly high standards at home and school while also being told that they belonged at the isle by people at school. Told that their mother had lied and broken the law, and that they were too violent for Auardon. They got harshly disciplined by their family and the school whenever they got into any form of trouble. Less than perfect grade? Extreme discipline required. Got in a fight? Extreme discipline required. Talked back or defended yourself in anyway? Guess what? Extreme discipline required! Lonnie's complaints about favoritism, sexism, and double standards were met with silence, harsh reprimand, or an eye roll. She was considered a problem child by many and it showed in the way people interacted with her. Everyone expected her to be girly and the perfect daughter, just like her mom had been expected to be. She was even forced to participate in highly feminine activities that she had no interest in while the boys went and had fun sword fighting. Just so she could pass school. And there wasn't a big war or battle for her to win to prove her worth like their had been for her mother. And you know what she'd say the worst part was? The fact that her mother didn't even realize that she was making her suffer through what she had. Or the fact that her father didn't stand up for her and treated her as inferior compared to her brother, who seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Yi-min, Yao's daughter, suffered the exact same pains as her and they both had to sit back and watch Lil' Shang (as he was called) crumble under the pressure. They had to listen to him cry and pray to their ancestors at night. Had to listen to his constant apologies to them and see his guilty expression every time they were scolded for doing things he got to do freely. They also had to listen to him constantly blaming himself for not being able to do anything about the way things were and they hated every minute of it. And hated Auardon and their parents for letting things get this way, and their refusal to even see it, let alone fix it.
Ariana & Audrey were kept on strict diets that they didn't even need all their lives and harshly chastised when they even thought about straying from them. They did the same thing every day unless there was a party or event they needed to be at. Otherwise they'd be at woken up at 5am sharp so that they could go through painful beauty regiments that they didn't even want and pick out an extremely uncomfortable outfit to wear to school. Then again, all of their clothes were uncomfortable because God forbid they look sloppy anywhere-- even in their own home. Then the two cousins were off to school and then to practice and then they'd be driven off compass to tutors who gave them princess lessons and wife lessons, which they'd take until it was time for curfew. Then they'd have to decide on whether to do something fun for themselves for a bit and be tired in the morning or go to bed, be plagued with nightmares that their grandma and Maleficent's gave them, and be miserable. That was the routine they had followed since they started school back when they were five. A routine that had rarely changed at all and kept them away from their interests and hobbies and friends. A routine that their parents never interfered with-- their parents who they rarely ever saw. Their parents who allowed their grandmother to groom them into the perfect royal wives before they could even walk. And they were still expected to do well at EVERYTHING they attempted to do or have the book thrown at them. No one cared that they were always exhausted or that they were punished for EVERYTHING extremely harshly, even if it was something as small as getting a stain on their skirt or smearing their make up.
They, like all royal children, were raised to be seen not heard and to never argue. So when Queen Leah or any other adult told them to do something, they did it without question-- even if it went against their morals. Like when Leah forced Audrey to date Ben and Ariana to date Artie even though they didn't really love them at all. And when she finally gaslighted them into thinking that they did. They hadn't gotten a childhood and neither had Ben, who had been raised to be just as mindless and perfect as they had been . He never got to make any decisions without his parents sticking their nose in his business and criticizing them. He constantly faced the unyielding wrath of his father who physically intimidated him every chance he got. Constantly faced yelling and shaking and undeserved discipline that was rougher than necessary. He didn't get to have a childhood because of all these factors and the strict schedule they made for him. Because of their strict expectations and it hurt him in more ways than anyone could understand. He'd often have panic attacks or fits of despair that could last for hours due to the stress and unfair treatment everyone-- himself included-- recieved. He was always under pressure. Being crushed by the weight of the world on his shoulders and would pass out occasionally from pure exhaustion. And that's not even including the fact that he was yelled into submission at a very tender age and left to interpret his visions all by himself because his parents considered them magic. And to them, magic equalled evil unless it was convient for them.
Chad only ever got attention when he did something wrong. His parents acted like teenagers-- always out and about, rarely ever around. His dreams of fashion and modeling were discouraged, and his bisexuality was denied, belittled, and forcibly stomped down inside of him. He was broken down constantly and took so many punishments for his friends that he was starting to resent them, and that honestly scared him more than he was ever willing to admit.
At 13, the kids finally snapped. Finally decided that they could no longer sit by and allow this balant disrespect and disregard for them and others to continue. Enough was enough. The system was broken and it looked like they were gonna have to be the ones to fix it. So they enlisted the aid of their classmates who they had done their best to remain on good terms with, unlike their parents who were constantly at eachother's throats. And they all tracked down the older kids in secret, one by one, until they had several people who were willing to back them and any plans they come up with. If the adults weren't gonna fix this, than the kids would.
Leading this movement where Ben and his closest allies /friends. Ben was the main leader with Audrey and Lonnie backing him. Doug and Jane were their advisers and Chad was in charge of protecting them or convincing others to join their cause. He had always been good at twisting things to get people to see things the way he did after all. Why wouldn't he be given that job? No one would regret giving it to them-- especially not with the numbers they gained after he received it. It seemed that almost every kid their age and older was on their side and boy was that vindicting.
Months passed with the kids meeting in secret every Saturday and plotting until a plan was eventually formed. One so perfect that the kids wondered why they hadn't thought of it before. One that was risky and would require more help-- help from the kids of the isle and the in between generation. Ben sent 5 mermaids and Tinkerbell's triplets (Terry, Terra, and Tina Bell) to score the barrier for any openings or weak spots that had been overlooked by Fairy Godmother when she built it. With them, he sent a peace offering in the form of supplies and orders to try and establish contact with people who could be strong, trustworthy allies to their cause.
While they were doing this, the cheerleading squad and tourney teams played distraction while Jane, Ally, Opal, & Jordan used the magic they had been studying in secret (with books Chad had stolen while the librarian was too focused on making sure Bobby Hood didn't steal anything, ironically) to shield them from view. The remainder of the school's population were tasked with playing it cool, going about their regular, everyday routines so that the adults wouldn't get suspicious. And surprisingly, it went off with out a hitch, with no one suspecting a thing. Which was funny considering that a good portion of the kids were mapping out plans on what to do next and passing eachother notes in code (one that Doug created so they wouldn't get found out). It was funny just how stupid and oblivious the adults in Auardon could be, and it left the kids wondering how they had never noticed it before.
It really did baffle them. They were so gulliable, how had no one noticed before? But then again, maybe someone had. The villians' plans to trick them were suspiciously easy and full of red flags yet their families hadn't noticed. They had fallen for their tricks and nearly lost their battles because of how gulliable and naive and stubborn they were. And they really hadn't changed much, in their children's opinion. The only difference between then and now was that their parents were the villians committing atrocities and various human rights' violations while scaring them-- their own children-- and everyone else in the kingdom into compliance. Of course they would be blind to their gulliable-ness; they were conditioned to.
But that didn't matter now. Not when they had finally been too far. Pushed into taking their blinders off and facing the reality that their parents weren't the heroes of this particular story. It didn't matter now that they were done with hiding who they were and letting the isle kids rot away. Letting the isle kids be trapped inside the barrier with their parents-- starving and dying-- despite the many, many chances they had given their parents to fix their mistakes. Their parents' and grandparents' scare tactics wouldn't work on them this time. It wouldn't stop their movement. Not now. They were done waiting on the world to change-- they were gonna make it change. One way or another.
Arabella and the others reported back four hours later -- right as the shielding began to falter. No one had time to process the close call, however, because they had to rush back to school (or home, in Meldoy's case) before they were spotted and relay what they had found to Ben and the rest of their "army". They came bearing both great and terrible news, and asked what news their allies wanted to hear first. Everyone voted on it and the results were almost completely unanimous; everyone wanted to hear the bad news first.
What Arabelle and The Bell Triplets shared horrified everyone and strengthened their resolve to continue moving forward. The isle was worse than they thought; run down, barrier, and living off trash, not to mention over populated. Children were sleeping on the streets. Violence and crime ran rampant, witches were snatching up small children to make in their stew-- barely being stopped by the older kids, and parents were hurting their kids alot worse than they had imagined. The resources were limited and their were two areas of the isle that were devoid of children that everyone seemed to avoid. Creeps peak and cannibal cove. Those names didn't leave much to the imagination and made all of them feel sick. Almost as sick as the knowledge that almost all of the animals on the isle were rabid and a danger to the kids. Almost as sick as the knowledge that there were bodies rotting in the street and that the water was populated and full of trash, limbs, and mutated amphibians.
Ben was almost shaking with rage when he silently asked what the good news possibly could be. Arabella just gave him a small, vindictive smirk before answering. Their peace offering had been accepted and the isle kids (along with the in-between generation, a few henchmen, a few minor villians, and Hades) had agreed to join their cause, and give them everything they needed. That night, kids from all over celebrated this small victory silently and put the next step of their plan into motion.
Audrey, Ariana, and Jane along with the cheerleading squad, prom committee, and student council started listing possible places were the isle kids could stay once they freed them. Then they'd send the merry men and ugly ducklings' children to scoure their chosen locations so they'd know if it would work out or not, space and comfort wise and mark off the ones that recieved a thumbs down. Doug and the other magic and chemistry geeks made a list of ingredients they would need to move forward that could only be found on the isle while they sent Chad and Tyrone to retrieve the ones that could be found in Auardon.
The rest of the kids sneakily collected weapons and other supplies that would make the isle kids' lives easier in the mean time that the mermaids and fairies would smuggle to them. And no one in Auardon or the isle suspected a thing because of how scarily good at acting the kids on both sides of the barrier had become. Because of how good at acting they had made them become with their damaging actions. Who would have ever thought that that would be what led to their downfall?
Two years passed and their plan was finally perfected enough to go through with. It wasn't a nice plan. It wasn't a moral one. But at this point in time the kids no longer cared about morals or being nice. No, all they cared about was being free at last and doing the right thing -- even if it meant becoming the villians their parents had made them fear all these years. They were tried of being pushed around and having their light stomped out. Tired of being good. Now, they would be great.
None of them second guessed their plan. None of them blanched at the thought of poisoning their parents and guardians and teachers like most people would. Not even when they were pouring the vials into their parents' food or stirring it into their drinks. Not when they watched them eat or get sick from it. Not when Mr Deley coughed up blood in class after eating their cookies and kneeled over. Sure, they felt a little bad for their oblivious younger siblings and other relatives who hadn't hurt them or been in on the plan but they didn't halt in their actions. They just moved forward and played their parents well.
Played the grieving little teenagers and young adults who felt horrible about not spending enough time with their parents and didn't want to take their places. No one ever suspected that they had orchestrated the entire thing or that they were behind the mysterious illness that plagued those with similar mind sets to their teachers and parents-- the plague that had killed every God but Hades and Persephone. Not even when they freed the isle kids and minor villians alongside Hades. Not even when they managed to find places for them to stay in almost no time at all.
The world had finally changed. And they didn't regret a thing. And years from now-- years from Ben's 16th birthday when he freed everyone-- no one else would either. Not when they were all much happier with kids of their own who would never feel their pain or be alone. The world had changed and forgotten their parents, and made them the new heroes. Ones who wouldn't make the same mistakes their parents had. And boy did it feel good.
Author's note; I'd like to give a shout out to @dragoneyes618 @ginnyrules27 @nocturna-iv and @sweetsruins for inspiring me. And I'd like to thank @eahravinqueen / @descendants-extended for proof reading this for me. Also I'd like to thank @myfavoriteficss for helping me learn how to make a masterlist. Go check out their blogs when ya have time.
