Congrats, you get a new chapter today since someone answered all four questions correctly.
Just a heads up, these next few chapters will be tidbits from Mal's childhood. This chapter only has two events since both combined will somewhat help with an event in the next chapter. I will also say that I will do a couple twists on events from the books; for example, Mal gathering the apples (which appears next chapter) and her dumping shrimp over Uma's head.
As I already told a reader, I will also be retelling a few events from the first book. How else am I going to mention the Dragon Scepter when it is so far not in this story but will be needed?
Enjoy.
Turns out, Cruella really didn't need help when it came to her pregnancy and having her child.
Yes, she did spend some nights over at Maleficent's and Hades's to help care for baby Bertha—as Cruella lovingly calls baby Mal. Cruella was a natural and did everything correctly without the mother or father instructing her. That seemed to appease Cruella's nervousness when raising her child.
When she was about halfway through her pregnancy, Maleficent and Hades occasionally stayed with her at her mansion. They would alternate back and forth with Ursula, that way the pregnant woman wouldn't get annoyed with constantly being with the same person. The trio helped to set up a suitable nursery with Jafar donating whatever he could; whether it be a blanket his son no longer liked, a practically new crib he found at the barges, etc.
About a month before she was expected to have her child, Cruella went into labor at the marketplace.
Now this actually caused quite a panic among the citizens of the Isle. All the other children were born either a week early or a week late at the most; never a month. However, they tried to keep calm as best as they could to not cause any worry with the soon-to-be mother.
Since their place was the closest, Hades carried—yes, carried—Cruella bridal style to their home while someone ran to get Lady Tremaine. The audience didn't hide their surprise when Hades effortlessly lifted the pregnant woman into his arms. It seemed as though everyone forgot that he was a god and retained his inhuman strength.
Luckily, there were no complications when it came to the birth of Carlos.
Yes, Cruella gave birth to a healthy boy despite being early. Carlos had a splatter of freckles all over his face, almost like spots. Hades found it amusing that the boy had white and black hair, almost like the newborn knew about his mother's obsession with Dalmatians. Since Cruella had given their daughter her middle name, she gave the married couple permission to give Carlos a middle name.
The first name that came to Maleficent's mind was 'Oscar'. The fairy had absolutely no idea why that was the first to pop in her mind; he just looked like an 'Oscar'. Hades loved the name so much that he insisted that would be the middle name.
Hold on a sec . . .
This story is supposed to be about Hades, Maleficent, and their beautiful daughter!
I guess I will retell the tale of Mal's favorite toy as a child, as the little contraption plays a somewhat important role in the future.
You see, Mal had been stubborn during her first year or so when it came to playing with toys. During 'playdates' with other children, she refused to interact with any of the children because she didn't like their toys. To be fair, when it came to play dates with Carlos, the young boy preferred to stay in his mother's arms and would cry whenever another child touched him.
When Mal was about two years old—just starting her 'Terrible Twos' stage—her parents had their backs to her for a brief second when she grabbed an object about as big as her hand from her mother's bedside table. Mal couldn't help being fascinated by the odd trinket. When she turned the key switch on top, she giggled uncontrollably at what it did, causing her parents to revert their attention to her. Maleficent's heart swelled and swooned when realizing what made her daughter so happy.
The wind-up crow Hades's made for their friendiversary captured the heart of their beloved daughter.
Controlling her emotions from seeing such a sight, Maleficent lifted her baby girl into her arms, resting her on her hips, Mal still clutching the bird—whose wings flapped up and down to her delight. Mal happily offered the trinket to her mother, who took it gingerly.
"This," Maleficent began as she gestured to the bird, "is very special to me. Your father made this so I wouldn't forget my dear friend who is no longer here. You can't have it now, but if you are very careful, you can play with it to your heart's content. However, it must not leave this house just yet. Do you understand, Baby Girl?"
As though her growing mind could, Mal nodded enthusiastically, swiftly taking the object from her mother's hand to play with it once more—
Not realizing that many years from then, it would be used to comfort her when she didn't want to leave her home.
We are going to move this story a little over a year later, when an incident occurred at the marketplace involving Mal and a piece of metal she unconsciously grabbed.
However, this wasn't just any piece of metal.
It was iron—the weakness of her mother and apparently herself too.
Four-year-old Mal was walking the best that she could with her closest male friend, Jayden—or 'Jay' as Mal and the other kids called him—while her parents and his father strolled behind them, talking about how Drizella was pregnant for the fourth time.
Mal had noticed a bright purple scarf at a nearby stand and wanted a better view, maybe even ask her parents to get it for her. She barely grazed her hand against the metal table before she jerked it back with a painful cry.
Hades rushed forward, scooping his little girl in his arms to calm and protect her from whatever happened to her. He took Mal's tiny hand into his own, immediately noticing the bright festering red line. But how did it happen?
While her husband was comforting their daughter, Maleficent cautiously stood close to the stand Mal was at. Outstretching her hand just an inch or so from the metal, the wingless fairy jerked it back once she began feeling a familiar burning sensation. She watched in horror as the redness on the palm of her hand slowly fading back to its usual paleness.
"Hades, get our daughter away from this stand," Maleficent insisted as she stepped back herself.
While Hades moved farther back—nearly ten yards—Jafar had Jay step away as well he interrogated, "What happened to Mal? Why did she get hurt?"
"It's that table," Maleficent claimed. "It's made from iron."
Hades paled at the announcement as a million thoughts started whirling in his mind, most of them being worry. If that metal was truly iron and Mal was somehow burned from it. . . that means someone could use her weakness against her in the future.
Hades held his daughter closer to him, Mal burying her face into his shoulder to keep him from seeing her tears. Even injured, she still tries to be his brave little girl. Clutching her head to show his comfort, the god interrogated, "How did iron get here on the Isle? Why now after nearly ten years?"
"It may have come from Auroria," Jafar deduced strategically. "Recently, I've had more items from that kingdom come into my store. I saw on the news yesterday that the royalty from that kingdom were trying to clean the 'garbage' from their castle and replacing it with new items for their heiress—King Philip's and Queen Aurora's four-year old daughter. From what little I saw, that child is going to have everything handed to her by her parents and grandparents. She is already such a spoiled princess."
Hades cautiously watched the way Maleficent reacted to the news. Her body tensed at hearing the name of the teenager she protectively watched over all those years ago, but now that teenager was a woman with a daughter of her own. When Maleficent had been halfway through her pregnancy, Aurora became pregnant as well. The fairy couldn't believe that someone she considered to be her daughter had been with child the same time as her.
Shaking her head slightly, Maleficent adverted her attention to comforting her daughter. Poor little Mal was still clutching her tiny injured hand, though her excessive crying was now intermittent sobs.
Wiping a tear away with the pad of her thumb, Maleficent smiled lovingly at her daughter. "No need to cry, Baby Girl," she cooed softly. "Your daddy and I are going to take you home to treat your burn. You'll get to feeling better real soon. And, if you give me the biggest and brightest smile you can muster, you can play with my crow until you cheer up. Deal?"
Little Mal nodded slowly as her last tear dripped down her cheek—
Not knowing then that it wouldn't be her last encounter with her new weakness.