"Godmother! I'm back!" Maleficent turned just in time to see Aurora sprinting at her before the young girl had suddenly launched herself into the dark fairy's arms. Maleficent's eyes widened in surprise, but she did not falter, catching Aurora effortlessly as Aurora squeezed her tight.
"Hello, Beastie," Maleficent's surprise melted into happiness as she returned the embrace. The dark fairy never realized how much she loved Aurora's hugs until she got one after the two had spent an extended period of time apart.
Unfortunately, those periods of time were becoming increasingly common. Aurora had a kingdom to run, after all, but that didn't mean Maleficent wasn't jealous and resentful of the kingdom that kept stealing her goddaughter away.
But, Maleficent thought in saitsifction, Aurora always comes home to me in the end!
She wrapped her wings around Aurora, embracing her twice over. Aurora gave a soft, excited squeal. There was nothing she loved more than the feeling of her godmother's wings wrapping around them both in a protective embrace that only they could share.
But once the greetings were over, Aurora was quick to launch into some of the most entertaining stories she'd brought back from the human kingdom. One was about a rather arrogant lord who'd gotten a bit too drunk at a feast only to fall face-first into his own plate of pudding.
"I feel bad for laughing, but…" Aurora giggled helplessly while Maleficent gave her a satisfied smile. It wasn't the story that she was interested in, but rather, the implication that Aurora must've still held some contempt for her fellow humans if she was so willing to tell stories like this. It meant that no matter how much time she spent at the human kingdom, her heart would always belong, first and foremost, to the Moors. Because of that, Maleficent was deeply satisfied, and she found herself laughing along, although for different reasons.
Then, it was Maleficent's turn to tell a story or two.
"I don't have any quite as interesting as yours," she admitted ruefully. Because she was still viewed with some level of fear by her subjects, she had a lot less to deal with than Aurora did.
"Surely you must have something!" Aurora cried. "How have my aunties been?" She gave Maleficent a knowing smile, and her trick worked like a charm. At the mere mention of those three fairies, Maleficent's smile faded into annoyance.
"They haven't got a single brain cell between the three of them!" Maleficent huffed, rolling her eyes and even raising her wings slightly in indignation. "Knotgrass is still a bossy thorn in everyone's side, Flittle somehow got stuck in my throne, and Thistlewit nearly caused a huge crash when she got stuck in an air current and slammed into at least six other fliers!"
"And you said you didn't have any good stories!" Aurora managed to say through her laughter. Yes, that sounded like her aunties, alright!
"Well, Beastie, I'm glad at least one of us was amused by all of this mess!" Maleficent rolled her eyes again.
"Oh, don't be like that! You know I didn't mean it that way!" Aurora was still laughing. "Though I am sorry you had such a time with them!"
"I've come to expect nothing less after 17 years of watching them dither!" Maleficent snorted.
The two continued to share their most amusing, interesting stories until, at last, the unpleasant topic of returning to the human kingdom came up. Aurora didn't want to go back any more than Maleficent wanted her to go back, but she didn't really have a choice. From what she'd been told, she had about a month at the Moors before she would be needed again at the human kingdom.
It was during that talk that Aurora confessed one of her biggest fears, and that was the constant sense of distance between herself and her fellow humans. Even the kindest and most accepting always made her feel like an outsider, even if they didn't mean to. But not a day could pass where Aurora wasn't painfully reminded of how strange she was to everyone else.
"It gets lonely and tiring," she admitted. "Especially since I don't have anyone to turn to." It wasn't like she could just bring her fairy friends along for the ride. The humans of her kingdom were still trying to undo all the fear Stefan had put them through for the past 16 years.
"I'm sorry, Beastie. You know I wish I could join you, but…"
"No, I understand, it's just… sometimes… all I can think is… I want my mom!"
Her voice broke as she said this, but as soon as she realized what she'd said, her eyes went wide and she slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Oh! Godmother! I- I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- It just… slipped out! I- I- I wasn't thinking! I'm so sorry!" she cringed at herself. Maleficent, meanwhile, could only stare at her, eyes as wide as Aurora's. But rather than embarrassment, surprise filled hers.
"Beastie…"
"Sorry! Sorry!" Aurora continued to apologize awkwardly. "You know? I just realized I haven't said hello to Diaval yet!"
She quickly excused herself from Maleficent's presence, and before Maleficent could call out for her to stop, she'd darted away.
ooo
The next day was almost painfully awkward. Aurora did her best to stay out of Maleficent's way. Initially, Maleficent had been willing to give Aurora her space, but the next day, she'd gone looking for the girl in hopes that they could share breakfast, and a talk, but Aurora was nowhere to be found. All that was left was a note saying she was out on a walk and would not be back until closer to noon.
Maleficent was a little hurt by this, but she again chose to simply give Aurora her space. But even after noon came and went, Aurora continued to find every excuse under the sun to avoid Maleficent. At one point, she was busy chatting with her aunties. Another time, she was playing a game with Diaval. Another time, she was helping some trolls build a castle of mud. Another time, she was helping some small fairy folk cross a large river. But no matter what, whenever Maleficent was near, Aurora was suddenly busy.
In the beginning, Maleficent tried to be accommodating, but as the day carried on, it became increasingly frustrating. All she wanted was to talk, but Aurora always managed to come up with a flimsy excuse to skirt her. It was actually kind of hurtful.
"Beastie!" The moment Maleficent caught Aurora alone, she pounced on the opportunity.
"Godmother!" Aurora yelped. "I… was just on my way to talk to Balthazar! I… just remembered he asked me to help him with… something."
"Beastie," Maleficent tilted her head and raised an eyebrow knowingly. "Balthazar has been on sentry duty near the entrance to the Moors all week."
"Oh, well, uhhh, it was someone who told me that Balthazar needed me."
"And just who was this someone, hmm?"
"Ummm, Thistlewit?"
"I know for a fact she and her sisters have been… preoccupied," Maleficent smiled dryly. "I assigned them the task of helping the goblins clean up a mess on the far west side of the Moors."
Maleficent and Aurora's back and forth carried on for a few minutes more until Maleficent finally addressed Aurora's lying directly.
"Aurora," she began, and Aurora's blood immediately went cold. Uh oh. First name weapon! "Why are you lying to me? Why are you hiding?"
"Hiding?! I'm not hiding! I'm just… busy?" Aurora smiled sheepishly.
"You still haven't addressed the lies."
"I… well… I… uhhh…" For a moment, Aurora could only flounder, wringing her hands and looking around wildly.
But after only a minute or so more, Aurora finally cracked.
"I'm sorry I said it!" she cried. "It just slipped out! I wasn't trying to insinuate anything! Honest!"
"I never thought that, Aurora," Maleficent continued, voice formal but direct. "What I want to know is why you seemed so horrified."
"Because it was embarrassing!"
"Calling me your mother? That thought embarrasses you?"
"Well, no! But… yes? But… no!" Aurora floundered again, but after another minute, she managed to collect her thoughts.
"It's not that I find the thought you being my mom, or being like my mom, embarrassing," she began. "It's that I find myself calling you that, when you aren't, to be embarrassing. I'm not a baby anymore! I'm… a princess! An adult! And I-"
Maleficent cut Aurora off with a laugh, a genuine, hearty laugh. "Oh, Beastie," she smiled. "You're still a child."
"I am not!" Aurora looked genuinely hurt and offended.
"No, you are," Maleficent replied, but there was a new tone in her voice that conveyed that she wasn't just trying to tease or demean Aurora. "Even though you've matured incredibly over this past year, and you've done things most "rational" adults are too immature to do themselves, you are still only 17. You're young, and there's a lot left of the world that you have not yet experienced. But that's nothing to be ashamed of!"
"But it's not proper!" Aurora's nose crinkled. "A princess shouldn't be ignorant, naive or childish!"
"When did you ever care about proper?" Maleficent teased.
"Since I became a princess!" Aurora raised her chin.
"You can have both," Maleficent replied. "I'm queen, but I'm not incapable of having fun." Her face softened while Aurora's remained troubled.
"My dear, sweet, little Beastie, I'm so very proud of you for how much you've accomplished in such a short timespan, but I implore you! Don't fall into the trap of trying to grow up too fast! And don't think that being mature and responsible means you're never allowed to be silly or childish ever again. It's not about giving up any part of yourself, but rather, knowing when and where to let each part shine."
Aurora continued to look uncertain, but Maleficent was unwavering in her reassurances.
"You're never too old to need, or want, your mom," the dark fairy said. Aurora had never heard her so soft, gentle, sweet and vulnerable before.
"But… and please, please, don't take this the wrong way! You aren't my mom," Aurora murmured softly.
"Are you sure about that, Beastie?" Maleficent gave her a small smile. "We may not be related by blood, but we are bound by love. I've looked after you for 17 years! I'm your family, and you are mine! You can argue semantics and blood all you want, but as far as I'm concerned, I am indeed your mother." She opened a wing and Aurora immediately ran into it, sniffling and whimpering.
"S-s-so, you d-don't mind me calling you that?" her voice was so small and delicate.
"Of course not, Beastie, I love the title, just as much as any that you could give me," Maleficent wrapped her arms and wings around Aurora. Aurora, meanwhile, hugged Maleficent as tight as she could. Although she hadn't admitted it, Maleficent read her like an open book anyway. It wasn't just embarrassment at her verbal blunder that had made Aurora so ashamed. It was the humiliation in admitting that even though she was a rising monarch, there were still many days when she just wanted her mama. But as Maleficent had said, this was nothing to be ashamed of.
"If you wish for me to be your mother, I would be more than happy to accept that role," she promised.
"You aren't just doing it for me, though, are you?" Aurora asked nervously, still unable to look into Maleficent's eyes.
"Of course not, Beastie, like I said before, I've considered myself your mother for quite a while now."
And that was the last reassurance Aurora needed before Maleficent's comfort finally seemed to sink in. She gave one small sob of relief, tears of worry turning into tears of joy as she began to laugh.
"There, there, Beastie," Maleficent crooned, caressing Aurora's hair as they continued to embrace. "Mama's here, mama's got you. And don't you worry, she'll be by your side for as long as you want."
"Even if it's forever?" Aurora still sounded very small.
"Even if it's forever," Maleficent promised, kissing Aurora's forehead tenderly. At last, Aurora felt brave enough to look Maleficent in the eye. She pulled herself back just a little and looked up. She saw nothing but warmth and love, and Maleficent saw the same.
AN: For Nebulosa. I may not write for this fandom anymore, but your idea was so good that I managed to write this in one night! I hope it meets your standards, it was fun to create!
