With the unexpected 'merging' of Sora's heart with their daughter's, Maleficent and Hades took some precaution to assure Sora's heart would be protected from the darkness of the Isle.
First, Hades thought it would be best if he spent only the weekends with his family instead of every single day. Hades believed having both him and Maleficent in the home would give Mal too much exposure to darkness. Sora profusely apologized for unintentionally breaking up the family. Mal reassured him everything would be fine, as their weekly reunions would remind them how much they loved each other. Besides, they could still run into each other anywhere else on the Isle, like the marketplace.
Speaking of that location, an incident occurred there a couple weeks later when Mal turned five, but she was not the reason behind it.
The mother and daughter had been walking through the marketplace to find suitable food for their weekend meals when they noticed something peculiar taking place. A few stands away from where they were, the two caught sight of the villain known as Jafar carelessly bumping into a goblin, whose basket of bruised apples fell over as a result. The boy following the villain, as he was Jafar's son, immediately stopped and, without a second thought, helped the goblin pick up the scattered fruit.
"Mommy," Mal softly whispered to her mother, "he says Jay has some of it in him too."
Maleficent nodded in agreement, though absentmindedly pleased that her daughter learned to be cautious on how she spoke so quickly. Hades had warned their daughter not to say Sora's name or what exactly he says to her in public, since it would cause too much unwanted attention for them.
"He may be right," Maleficent quietly agreed, "but something needs to be done so he doesn't get in trouble with his father. He may not be as accepting of Jay's it, like your father and I are with yours."
"Oh!" Mal perked up, like a brilliant idea came to mind. "I know what to do!"
Before an explanation could be given, Mal hurried to the scene. The girl practically shoved the boy to the side as she took over picking up the apples for him. Jay didn't have time to ask her anything since his father had finally noticed that he had not been following him. Instead of scolding his son, Jafar glared in contempt at the little girl. "What are you doing?" he interrogated forcefully. "Are you helping that thing?"
Raising her head to speak to the villain, Mal froze at the sight of him. Her eyes grew wide as she tried to comprehend what exactly she was seeing. Although she could see the Jafar standing before her, she could see another version of himself standing in the same exact spot. Unsure of what exactly to do, Mal covered her eyes and screamed as loud as she could.
Hearing her daughter's screams, Maleficent hurried to her child to assist with the situation. Somehow knowing that her mother was near her, Mal stopped with her shouts, but refused to open her eyes.
"I did nothing to her," Jafar vehemently denied up being interrogated. "Although. . . I thought she had your green eyes, not Hades's blue color."
Surprised at hearing the statement, Maleficent soothingly urged her daughter to open her eyes for her. Mal peeked them open for a brief second before she covered her eyes again, this time having seen her mother as two different people. That spare moment was all Maleficent needed to see that her daughter's eyes had indeed turned blue. However, that shade looked much too light to be her husband's color. In fact, her eyes looked more like . . . Sora's!
When they returned home, Maleficent retold the occurrence to her awaiting husband, along with the conclusion that Sora could show Mal—through her own eyes—what the villains looked like during his time so many year ago. In theory, if Mal would ever be given a chance to live in Auradon, she could see what the kingdom looked like before all the worlds merged together as one.
After the explanation was given, Sora apologized for giving Mal such a scare. Mal reassured him that she would be fine, and asked if he could try to do that only when she asked; just until she could learn not to be surprised by the double images.
On that same day, Hades and Maleficent thought it would be best if Mal associated with only the children that had light inside of them to protect Sora's heart.
Actually, that was how Mal became friends with some of the children on the Isle, as they somehow gravitated toward her. Jay started hanging around only a day or so after the incident occurred. Soon enough, they became best friends, and a pair none of the children wanted to mess with.
When they started their second year in junior high at Dragon Hall, Carlos de Vil—the shy son of Cruella de Vil—found himself cowering behind the duo when he was being bullied by the Gaston twins. Luckily, that matter was quickly resolved after Hades had a 'talk' with the twins when he came to pick his daughter up early from school. Since then, Carlos instinctively walked with them in the hallways and on the way to and from school; slowly building up his confidence as he tried maintaining simple conversation with them.
A couple years later—when Mal and Jay became sophomores and Carlos a freshman—a new student, who had been castle-schooled most of her life, transferred to Dragon Hall. Princess Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen, seemed drawn to the trio and had instantly clicked with their group. Within an hour of their newest addition joining their group, they became known as the 'Core Four'; a group of friends that knew everything about each other.
Except . . .
They didn't know everything about Mal.
They didn't know why her father only stays with her and her mother on the weekends. They didn't know why Mal would stare off in space a few minutes at a time. They didn't know why her eyes would spontaneously change from her usual green hues to an abnormal blue color. They didn't know—
That their life would change unexpectedly.
Mal scrunched up her nose as mother reread the letter she had received while Mal had been at school that day. "Are you sure it's not a prank?" Mal wondered as she carelessly tossed her backpack onto her couch. "Why would they want me in Auradon?"
"It's an official royal decree by the future King of Auradon," Maleficent insisted as she read the letter once more. "You are one of four Isle children that have been chosen to attend Auradon Prep. According to Yen Sid, the other candidates are your three friends."
"When did you speak to the professor?" Mal interrogated curiously.
He's a Keyblade Master, Sora corrected for the umpteenth time in the many years that had passed.
"But he's still a professor here," Mal reminded out loud. "That's what this generation know him as, not as the master you know."
"Yen Sid personally delivered the letter and claimed to have helped the prince choose who would go to Auradon," Maleficent calmly explained, as she was used to her daughter's 'nonsensical' speaking. "He suggested you four because of the light inside all of you. He can sense each one of yours growing, but he didn't mention that to the others' parents."
Oh no. Sora's worry began to consume Mal's emotions once again, as his emotion turned into hers all the time. Does that mean he can sense my light within yours?
"Tell Sora to stop worrying," Maleficent instructed knowingly. "Yen Sid never mentioned his name when speaking about you. He only said your light was larger than theirs. Nothing more."
"How did you know what Sora said?" Mal interrogated. "Or what he was feeling?"
"Because after all these years, I have felt like I was raising two children instead of one," Maleficent teased half-heartedly. "An Auradonian will be here in just a little over an hour to take you and your friends off the Isle."
In other words, you have about an hour to pack, Sora translated. I'll help remind you of what you're missing.
"It would help if you could help me pack," Mal claimed, displeased about the time-limit. "There's no way I can get done in time."
And that's why you better get started! Sora teased. I'll give encouraging words to get you to pick up the pace. So chop, chop! Your art supplies aren't going to pack itself!
Mal huffed in annoyance at the advice, causing Maleficent to snicker at what the boy could have potentially said to her. Suddenly, the 'evil' fairy grew serious as she remembered something.
"Mal," Maleficent chided to get her daughter's attention, "remember to speak out loud to Sora only when you are completely alone. Other than that, speak to him in your head. Understood?"
"I'll try my best," Mal joked to appease the situation.
"And," the mother continued sternly, "don't be surprised if the three's parents force them to do an evil deed while in Auradon. If they are truly plotting something, it is your choice whether you help them or stop them. No matter what predicament you get into while in Auradon, remember to listen to your heart, not Sora's."
The hour passed far too quickly for Mal's liking.
The young fairy had been deep into conversation with Sora about packing three bags being too much and two bags being perfectly fine when she had heard the car horn from the street below. Both thought the hour couldn't have been up already when the horn went off once again, warning that the vehicle would leave if they didn't hurry.
The mother and daughter walked out of their residence with barely enough time to look at the parked black stretched limo before the villagers crowed around it curiously. Jay, Carlos, and Evie seemed to have magically appeared from down the street with their respective parents following them; the teenagers whooping with glee at seeing their fancy ride.
The chauffer—dressed in a crisp gray suit and dark sunglasses—loaded the three teens' luggage in the trunk as they happily climbed into the vehicle. Meanwhile, Mal somewhat reluctantly handed the driver her bags, but then she noticed a specific spectator watching her from afar.
"Mom." Mal quickly whipped her head toward her mother, a desperate, pleading look in her eyes. "Do you think I can tell him 'good-bye' before I go?"
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Maleficent reassured. "But try to make it quick. You don't want to keep them waiting."
As soon as the mother finished speaking, Mal bolted full force to the man, practically slamming into him as she gave him a massive hug. Snickering at his daughter's reaction, Hades wondered, "How can you always be so excited to see me when we just seen each other a couple days ago?"
"You're the one that turned me into a 'daddy's girl' when you suggested we be apart during the week," Mal reasoned. Strengthening her hold on her father, Mal raised her head to see him father, requesting, "Promise you'll write to me every chance you get?"
"As long as you promise to write back to everyone that you can."
Placing his hands on her cheeks, Hades stared into his daughter's eyes, watching as the green color 'magically' turned into a familiar blue hue. "Take good care of my daughter," he quietly demanded, so no one else could hear his words. "Don't let what happened to her a few years ago happen again."
"Dad," Mal scolded lightly, "that was an accident that I created, remember? It wasn't his fault. I was the one that suggested that I—"
I promise, Sora vowed with deep determination in his tone, even though he knew Hades would be unable to hear him. I won't ever let another Heartless hurt her again.