"Settle down children!" Mrs. Welling, the second grade teacher, stood at the front of the classroom ready to begin her afternoon lesson.
It took the second graders longer than Mrs. Welling would have liked to settle down because the bell signaling the end of recess had just rung.
"I want you to take out your notebooks and write down what you want to do or be when you grow up."
"Mrs. Welling" a chubby arm shot up immediately, "I don't get it."
"What do you see yourself doing when you are older, sweetie? Do you want to be a doctor, an astronaut? Do you want to sing, write, play soccer?" The teacher spoke sweetly. "When you are done please turn your papers in quietly."
Little second-grader Maleficent took out her green notebook and her perfectly sharpened Dixon pencil. The little brunette took no time deciding on her answer, she quickly wrote in her large print: FLY.
Flight. Without question, was something Maleficent saw herself doing ever since she was introduced to a Tinker Bell movie. Seeing the fairies flap their wings so naturally triggered Maleficent's obsession with flying characters. Her collection of movies with anyone and anything that could fly only served to give her hope.
After handing Mrs. Welling their papers, Maleficent was placed in a group with two other boys who wanted to become pilots.
"So you want to fly too?" Little Maleficent asked her two peers.
"Yes, I want to fly a plane just like my dad." A little boy named Daniel answered proudly.
"But I don't want to fly a plane. I want to fly by myself." Maleficent pointed out.
"You can't do that." The other little boy countered.
"Why not?" Maleficent demanded as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Because we cannot fly. Watch." Daniel instructed and began to jump as high as his little short legs allowed him while flapping his arms around wildly.
Maleficent soon joined him. "Jump higher" Maleficent ordered, unwilling to believe him.
Jumping as high as they could, they started to flap their arms like little birds. It didn't take long for Mrs. Welling to make the children quiet down and explain to Maleficent that humans cannot fly. Disheartened, little Maleficent was quiet for the rest of the school day.
…
As Maleficent grew, she indeed realized that humans were not made to fly, but she still admired and was fascinated by anything with flight. Her favorite superheroes were those who could fly, but above all, she loved Angel and Shayera Hol the most. Something about their large and powerful wings never ceased to amaze her.
So her senior year of High School, when the time came to apply for college and to choose a major, her councilor's advice lead her to study Aeronautics so she could become a pilot.
…
Dr. Webber dismissed his three-hour lecture class thirty minutes early. He had noticed his phone was vibrating non-stop so he decided to answer it as soon as most students left the classroom.
Seeing that Maleficent lingered by the doorway, he addressed her before he answered the call.
"Excuse me Maleficent, this is extremely important." He motioned to his phone.
"No worries, Dr. Web, I'll go to the bathroom."
Stepping out of the bathroom, Maleficent found her professor anxiously waiting for her a few feet down the hallway.
"Maleficent, change of plans, can you please come to my office?" The always composed professor looked worried.
"Sure," Maleficent agreed, not sure what to make out of his odd behavior.
She walked into Dr. Webber's large and empty office and he locked the door behind them.
"Maleficent, I am about to tell you something that I know will be a lot to take in so please bear with me." His voice was as cautious as his blue eyes.
Unaware of what to expect, Maleficent simply nodded. "Okay."
"What if I told you that I could make your dream of flight come true? And no I don't mean flying a plane." Dr. Webber spoke, calmly now, knowing that if he showed any sign of nerves, it would only make the situation worse.
"What?" Maleficent asked.
"Maleficent, I am not your normal human being. But I have a group of….individuals after me. I made a mistake and now they follow my every move waiting to...hurt me."
"Dr. Webber I don't think I follow. What - what exactly are you saying?" Maleficent narrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"I will give you everything you have ever dreamed of and more. You will have great power. But I need you to do me a favor while I am gone."
"What do you mean…P-power?…I…" Maleficent's mind couldn't process what her professor was telling her.
"I need you to take care of my daughter for me. She is everything I have and I will not let them harm her." Dr. Webber could see Maleficent's eyes widen and her head started to shake.
She was responsible for no one but herself.
"Please Maleficent, you are the only one who can help me. I have to turn myself in" He glanced at his watch, "in less than two hours and I need you to protect her." His eyes implored her to understand, for her to aid him in his most desperate hour.
"Dr. Webber I think you need to go take a nap or something. Clearly you are delusional!" Maleficent turned to walk out of the office but halted when a green orb of light appeared in front of her.
"This is real Maleficent. There are very dangerous beings out there. Out of everyone in this world, you are the ideal person for this task."
Wide eyes still glued to the green orb in front of her, Maleficent didn't feel as Dr. Webber teleported them to his house.
The orb disappeared and Maleficent frantically took in her surroundings. Shock and horror painted her features. She opened her mouth to let out a scream but not a single sound came out, she was speechless.
They were inside a nursery room and Maleficent noticed a toddler with beautiful golden hair coloring in a Dora the Explorer coloring book. There was also another woman in the room.
"Is this her?" The woman asked Dr. Webber as she inspected Maleficent from where she stood.
"Yes, how much time do we have?" Dr. Webber asked, eyes on Maleficent.
"The barrier goes down in thirty minutes. So they should be here in about forty."
"Ok, I'll meet you downstairs."
The woman nodded, opened the light pink door of the nursery and walked into the hallway.
"Her name is Aurora, she's two. They will search for her and corrupt her." Dr. Webber spoke in a hurried voice.
"Why do they want your child? I don't understand anything!" Maleficent franticly walked around the room.
"The less you know the better. Just keep her safe! I cannot protect her with magic; she cannot have any magic in her otherwise I would be making her immortal and not you."
"Imm…Immortal?" Maleficent's eyes almost popped out of her eye sockets. "Magic?"
"Yes, yes, you will not die, you will not age, and you will have magic which you will have to learn to wield on your own."
Maleficent's jaw hung open.
"We are running out of time, I have to do this now." The professor looked apologetic as he extended his hands out. "It might hurt a bit."
Before Maleficent could say anything, two shots of pain cut through her shoulder blades. She landed on her knees and screamed out in anguish. It was nothing she had felt before. Her whole body felt like it was in flames. The burst of pain was followed by nausea that had her whole body shaking violently.
When she thought the pain couldn't get any worse, she heard loud ripping and it took her a moment to realize that the skin on her back was being ripped open.
After moments of agony, her ragged breath went back to normal, and her body finally stabilized. Slowly a pair of long, brown wings appeared on Maleficent's back. As the pain lessened, she stood with a strange feeling buzzing through her veins. She felt stronger, more agile and focused; she felt alive.
Baffled, she looked at her wings in awe. It had been twenty-one years filled with dreams of flying. And now, she finally had wings with beautiful feathers. The outline of her wings was thick, strong, and perfectly clean. They were long, dragging behind her.
"Here," Dr. Webber handed Maleficent the little two-year-old who was yet to make a sound. Maleficent immediately stepped back, unable to contemplate such a ludicrous task. "Please Maleficent, she is all that I have left."
"How am I supposed to take care of a two year old?! Have I never shared my disdain towards children with you, because let me tell you -" Suddenly there was a deafening noise that shook the nursery.
Dr. Webber desperately shoved Aurora into Maleficent's arms, "Barrier has gone down. Leave now!" Dr. Webber aimed his hand to the roof, breaking ceiling off to create a hole.
Wings flapping uncoordinatedly, Maleficent held Aurora awkwardly in her arms as they flew away from the nursery.