Diablo flew into the room, cawing in celebration, his wings outstretched.
Nanny loved seeing Maleficent that happy. And Maleficent’s relationship with Diablo, a new acquisition for her aviary, made Nanny smile. Though Maleficent still held a very special place for her crows, she loved her raven, Diablo, who never seemed to leave her side for very long.
“Come on, Diablo! Let’s practice wish granting in the garden! I need to be perfect for my exams tomorrow!”
Nanny chuckled to herself as the two rushed into the garden. It had been a joke between the two of them that Maleficent had decided to name the raven Diablo. It was their way of poking fun at the fairies for having given Maleficent such a menacing name.
Nanny had just stood to put another kettle on the fire when there was a knock at the door. “Come in!” she yelled in a cheery voice. It was her sister, the Fairy Godmother. “Ah, come in, Sister. I just put some water on for tea. Would you like to join me in a cup?”
“Yes, please,” the Fairy Godmother replied as she stepped into the cottage.
Nanny took a cup from the cupboard that she knew her sister would fancy—a pretty opalescent teacup that reflected different muted colors depending on the light. Nanny placed the cup and teapot on the table, pretending she didn’t know why her sister had come by for a visit. The truth was her sister never came over. They weren’t the sort of sisters who met for tea, but Nanny made a pretense that they were. Secretly, she wished they were that sort of sisters.
The Fairy Godmother cleared her throat. “I’m here because I was passing by and I noticed Maleficent practicing wish granting in the front garden.”
“Indeed she is,” Nanny said as she poured the tea and put out the sugar cubes for her sister. The Fairy Godmother’s normally pleasant face had contorted into a crooked frown.
“What’s troubling you, Sister?” Nanny asked, pretending she hadn’t already guessed.
“Is Maleficent turning sixteen tomorrow?” the Fairy Godmother asked.
Nanny narrowed her eyes at her sister’s question. “Yes, she is, Sister.”
The Fairy Godmother pursed her lips. “How can you be sure? We don’t know when she was born.”
Nanny smiled thinly, much in the same way her sister did when she was saying something unpleasant. “You know our powers work differently. I can see time and can visit those times. I know tomorrow is her birthday.”
“Well, sixteen or not, as headmistress you know a fairy cannot sit for exams without first successfully completing all the classes necessary to qualify her for the honor,” the Fairy Godmother reminded Nanny.
“And as headmistress, I can make exceptions when I choose,” Nanny said. “I would make the same case for any fairy who had the same extensive knowledge as Maleficent. She has learned everything necessary to qualify her for the exams and more. I say she sits for them!”
The Fairy Godmother stood up from her chair, slamming her hands on the table. “I don’t understand what you see in this girl. Our powers may work differently, but I’ve seen her future in my dreams. She will bring you nothing but heartache! I’ve seen it. And so have you!”
“Time is not fixed, Sister,” Nanny said, rebuking her. “The future especially! You know this. She deserves a chance. And she certainly deserves the opportunity to have a future, which she wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t come back and taken her in!”
“Not this again! I won’t have you condemning me for the rest of our many long lifetimes with this nonsense,” the Fairy Godmother snapped.
“Nonsense? You left her in the cold! You left her alone with the crows. You didn’t care if she lived or died.”
“It’s useless talking to you about this. You won’t see reason. She is evil! You know that she is! Bring her for the exam if you wish. I can’t do anything to stop you. But the decision to pass or fail her remains mine.”
Nanny shook her head. “You are so fairy-minded. If it doesn’t fit inside your ideal version of the world, if it stands out in any way, then you want it ripped from your view. Maleficent is like a black orchid in a field of pink peonies. You’re incapable of letting the orchid flourish. You would remove it because it looks out of place.”
“You love Maleficent because she’s an orchid.”
“And you hate her because I do!” Nanny was getting angry. Angry at her sister for not being the sister she had always wanted and for being so closed-minded. But most of all, she was angry because she was worried her sister might be right. No! Stop it. She’s not right. You’ve raised a beautiful, intelligent, gifted young woman. You’ve given her every opportunity and she will make you proud.
“Keep telling yourself that. Maybe one day you will actually believe it,” the Fairy Godmother snapped, leaving before drinking her tea. She was angry—a feeling she hated. The Fairy Godmother liked herself always to be seen as happy and good, but that ideal version of her was never reflected at her in her sister’s eyes.
With a steely look, the Fairy Godmother passed Maleficent on her way out of the yard.
“Why does she hate me so much?” Maleficent asked as she went back inside the cottage.
“She’s just jealous, my dear. Don’t you worry. Now help me get ready for dinner. We’re having guests to celebrate your birthday,” Nanny said in her usual calming tone. “Now, where’s your pet?”
Maleficent looked down as if she had been caught at something she was sure Nanny would disapprove of. “I sensed the presence of powerful witches in the area and I sent him to see who they were.”
Nanny’s mouth pinched and shifted to the left side of her face, as it often did when she was perplexed. “My dear, why didn’t you just ask me? I could have told you it was the odd sisters, on their way here. I’ve asked them to join us for dinner this evening.”