"Maleficent!" A disapproving voice rang out.
The creature with the horned head turned sharply toward the entrance to the courtyard, where an older man was storming in, accompanied by a beautiful young girl who also wore a Shiz uniform. Her features were sharp and delicate and elegant. Her long black hair was pulled back in an intricate braid to show off her lovely face, and her vibrant green eyes gleamed with a vague satisfaction and pride. Looking at the dignified, sharply-dressed older man, Aurora easily recognized him as the current ruler of the munchkin territory. She recalled him visiting on a couple of occasions for conferences with her own parents, but never knew that he himself had any children. She supposed now she understood why he'd never mentioned it before... However, he was particularly plain-looking to have one daughter so beautiful and another so ghastly.
"I told you not to rush ahead of me and your sister! Now you've made all these poor children uncomfortable!" The man continued to scold the monstrous girl as he stalked into the courtyard.
The girl- Maleficent- rolled her eyes- which were unnaturally yellow with slitted pupils, like a reptile's eyes- but said nothing in response to her aggravated father. Her graceful sister was smirking slightly at the old man's side. A few other students were murmuring in amusement or awe.
"A little harsh..." Naveen muttered.
Cindy scoffed quietly. "Well, just imagine having to deal with a kid who looked like that."
"I just don't think he should talk to his daughter like that, is all..." Naveen mumbled in response, making Cindy glare at him.
In the middle of the courtyard, where everyone could see, the old politician was turning his back on Maleficent to smile and hug his other daughter, his obvious favorite.
"Grimhilde, my treasure, my beautiful girl... You promise you won't get homesick?" He asked her.
Grimhilde smiled guiltily. "Maybe a little, father... But we both know that this school will be good for me. Remember? Perfecting my potion skills will help make me an excellent ruler one day. Just think- I could create a spell to prevent all the munchkins from ever getting sick. And I could do countless other amazing things, as well." She giggled a little as her proud father pulled her into a tight hug.
Maleficent stood by with her arms crossed, making no move or sound, not bothering to involve herself in the exchange. Her green face was a blank mask, keeping any of the onlookers from guessing what she might be thinking. She was obviously used to this dynamic by now. Aurora couldn't help feeling sad for the girl, but she did her best to hide this.
"I wanted to give you something... A special gift to always remind you of home." Their father was saying now. He reached inside of his jacket and pulled out a dainty velvet drawstring bag. "It was your mother's." Handling the bag like fine China, he held it out to Grimhilde.
The girl eagerly took the bag from him and tugged it open, gasping at the sight of the sparkling treasure inside. She reached in one hand and gently pulled out a magnificent bejeweled crown. A few other people made sounds of amazement or admiration as they looked on.
"Mother's tiara..." Grimhilde whispered. She looked at her father in disbelief and shook her head a little. "I couldn't possibly..."
"She would have wanted you to have it." He assured her. "If you are ever in doubt of yourself, look at this tiara and remember your purpose here, and your fate back home."
Grimhilde gingerly placed the tiara back in the bag and closed it. "I'll protect this gift for as long as I live. Thank you, father!" She threw her arms around his neck and he chuckled as they hugged again.
After a moment, he pulled away and turned to Maleficent, his expression immediately becoming dowr. Maleficent just stared up at him, seemingly unaffected.
"You take care of your sister. And don't do anything to embarrass us." He told her darkly.
Maleficent nodded. Then, she spoke for the first time since entering the courtyard, startling a few people. "Yes, father." Her voice was low and clear, a powerful drawl that spoke with immense confidence. She was not afraid to be here. She did not care what these people thought. And she obviously was not going to miss this man.
He nodded stiffly at her, then turned on his heel to leave. As he passed Grimhilde, he smiled at her one last time and patted her shoulder. Grimhilde grinned beatifically and watched him go, cradling the velvet bag in both hands. Maleficent already had her back turned to the old man and her sister and was now surveying the new environment, pointedly ignoring all the people who stared at her as she studied the courtyard.
"Well, she has some nerve, doesn't she?" Gaston commented in mild amusement. Aurora didn't like the cruel smile she saw on his face.
"I think we should stop staring..." Snow chirped nervously.
Aurora wanted to agree. There was an unmistakable power that emanated from Maleficent, something that she'd never sensed before in anyone else. The energy that leaked from her dark form had to attribute to her uncaring nature. She wasn't nervous or stiff any more, even though she was still surrounded by people who were disgusted by her. She'd already assessed the people she'd be trapped here with and saw no threat to her. Aurora couldn't help watching her in fascination. Maleficent could rule this school if she wanted to.
Cindy had obviously picked up on this and did not like it.
When the front doors of the school suddenly slammed open, all the students turned to see Madame Ursula, the Headmistress of Shiz Academy, and the Wizard's right-hand woman. She was a hefty woman, with skin a lavender hue, and short white hair that stuck up in the air. She wore a seashell pendant around her chubby neck, a face painted with makeup, and a black gown with an obnoxiously large and long skirt.
Aurora couldn't help noticing the strange way that Madame Ursula moved; it was as if she were floating, not walking. In the silence of the courtyard, Aurora also realized that there were no footsteps when Ursula moved. But, Aurora's ears did pick up the faintest whisper of slithering, like a serpent crawling over the floor, coming from under that skirt which completely concealed Ursula's lower half . Aurora turned slightly to see Maleficent narrowing her reptilian eyes at the Headmistress, seeming to be coming to the same conclusion as Aurora. When Maleficent realized that she was being stared at, she turned to the blond with a harsh look. Aurora quickly looked away. Maleficent's eyes lingered on her for a moment, making Aurora uncomfortable. Eventually, all eyes were once more on Ursula as she reached the center of the courtyard.
"Welcome, my lovelies!" She boisterously greeted the crowd of students.
Maleficent eyed the Headmistress suspiciously, not trusting her overwhelming enthusiasm.
"Welcome to Shiz Academy! I do trust that your time here will be fulfilling and educational, and that you will all be inspired to live your lives to the best of your-" Ursula was cut off when she noticed Aurora standing nearby. She gasped quietly. "My, my, my..." She moved closer to Aurora, who was blushing now that everyone was staring at her. Ursula chuckled and patted her cheek a little too forcefully. "No need to be nervous, pet. This school is going to do wonders for you. I'm sure that it will be easy for you to find your place here. We've all just been dying to meet you."
Aurora smiled a little. "Thank you, Headmistress."
Ursula turned to Naveen now. "And good to see you as well, young man. I trust you're going to behave yourself this year?"
Naveen grinned devilishly and gave her a bow. "Of course, Madame!"
"Right, right..." Ursula rolled her eyes and turned away, leaving Naveen and Gaston to snicker behind her back. Then, Ursula spotted Grimhilde across the way and her eyes widened. She grinned as she approached the young witch. "Miss Grimhilde! I am so pleased to finally meet you. We've heard so much from your father. But I thought we'd also be seeing your..." Ursula turned and saw Maleficent for the first time. She froze, obviously shocked. "...sister..."
Grimhilde sighed. "Yes... Madame Ursula, this is Maleficent. My older sister."
Ursula nodded slowly, carefully looking the beastly girl over and circling her. "Interesting..."
Maleficent stared back at Ursula without fear, looking unimpressed by the Headmistress as she evenly followed her gaze. Ursula laughed in a low tone and drawled, "Very interesting..." She paused in front of the girl with the horned head. "And what are you doing here, my dear?"
"I'm just here to watch my sister." Maleficent said flatly. She was reserved, and stood stiffly, with her hands behind her back. Her green face was expressionless.
"Right... Well, don't worry, dear. I'll be doing my best to help alleviate you of your familial duties." Ursula replied haughtily.
Maleficent raised one black eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Well, your father has requested that Grimhilde stay with me in my apartment, so I can give her all the help she needs with her potions. And private lessons."
Grimhilde gasped. "Really?"
Maleficent shook her head. "No, no... Grimhilde and I should share a room. I need to stay with my sister."
"Well, I wish I had more room in my apartment for you, dear. But, as they say, three's a crowd." Ursula held a hand out to Grimhilde. The girl eagerly placed her hand in the Headmistress's. "I'm sure we can find somewhere else to put you..."
"No... I'm supposed to protect her!" Maleficent called, following after them. She looked anxious for the first time since entering the courtyard as she watched Grimhilde walk off with Ursula. Then, the anxiety turned to rage, and her yellow eyes flashed like flames. The air became dark and heavy with a threatening new energy. She growled and raised her green hands, which Aurora now saw bore black talons instead of fingernails. Maleficent shouted, "I said no! " Her voice, now low and distorted, echoed through the air like thunder. A few of the students screamed as they watched some invisible force tear Grimhilde away from Ursula. Grimhilde cried unhappily as she was dragged back into her own sister's grasp. Everyone was shaken to the core, and couldn't calm themselves until that awful feeling left the air and Maleficent seemed substantially calmer, her hands resting on her sister's shoulders.
Ursula stood there with her mouth hanging open, staring at Maleficent in amazement. "How... How did you do that?"
Grimhilde whined and yanked herself out of her older sister's grip. "Maleficent! You're embarrassing me!"
Maleficent looked taken aback, but tried to remain calm. As she glanced around at the horrified faces surrounding her, Aurora caught a glimpse of hurt or fear in the girl's eyes.
"I- I just..." Maleficent seemed to shrink a little as she faced her ashamed sister. "I'm sorry."
"You can't just lose it like that!" Grimhilde snapped, stepping back from her. "I want to stay with Madame Ursula. It's important to me!"
Maleficent ducked her head. "I know... You're right. I'm sorry."
Grimhilde sighed. "We'll still see each other a lot... Just..." She grabbed her suitcase. "Stop scaring everyone. You can't control everything. Okay?"
Maleficent nodded.
Grimhilde walked away toward Ursula, but the Headmistress passed her by, her eyes focused solely on Maleficent. She reached out to stroke Maleficent's cheek, but the girl reared back from her touch. Ursula laughed. "Never apologize for such raw talent, lovely! Now... How did you do that? " There was unmistakable excitement in her tone.
Maleficent held her head high. "Sometimes...something just comes over me. It's hard to explain."
"And hard to control, I'm guessing?" Ursula smirked.
Maleficent stared back at her blankly. "I do my best."
"Well, stop! That's what causes these outbursts, my dear... Tell me, have you ever considered pursuing sorcery?" Ursula carefully patted Maleficent's shoulder.
Maleficent eyed her warily. "No..."
"I've never seen a student with such a knack for the magical arts! It would be a shame if you didn't explore the depths of your power... You show such promise, my girl." Ursula leaned in conspiratorially and stage-whispered, "In fact, I believe the Wizard himself would be very interested in meeting you one day."
Maleficent couldn't shield her surprise at this. A few people gasped at the sound of it.
"The Wizard?!" Grimhilde demanded icily.
"Oh, so glad to see talent runs in the family!" Ursula cheered, ignoring Grimhilde's indignation. She was grinning ear-to-ear at Maleficent now."I'm going to add you to my seminar! And offer you private lessons!"
"What?! " Grimhilde cried.
Ursula waved away her concern. "Oh, darling, it won't distract me from you..." Under her breath, she added, "...too much." She turned quickly back to Maleficent and loudly continued, "So! How does that sound, my dear?"
Maleficent looked doubtful for a moment, thinking it over carefully. She didn't trust Ursula as far as she might be able to throw her, and she didn't want her sister to hate her any more than she already did... But, thinking about having a chance to meet the Wizard... Maleficent couldn't help the small quirk in the corners of her lips, tugging them upward in a slight smile. Ursula was making it sound as though these powers would provide a bright future for her... This could finally be her chance to break free from the life her family had forced on her since her birth; a life of shame, in the shadows.
This day was turning out much better than she'd expected.
"That sounds...wonderful, Madame Ursula." Maleficent replied with a respectful nod.
"Excellent! Oh, we'll fix up your schedule right away! After I make your sister comfortable... Oh..." Ursula turned to address the whole crowd. "If anyone else has any issues or questions regarding their schedules or room assignments, now's the time to speak up!" She turned back to Maleficent. "Now, there's just the issue of where to put you..."
Aurora decided to try to calm the nerves of her new friends by changing the subject.
"Hey, Cindy! Do you have a roommate yet? I was thinking it would be fun if we shared a room." Aurora said cheerfully.
Cindy scoffed. "Yeah, sounds nice, but I've already got a private room reserved."
"Oh..." Aurora said.
"Oh!" Snow White chimed in. "I also have a private room, but there's plenty of room for two people and I hate being alone. You could room with me!"
Aurora grinned at her. "That's a great idea, Snow White! Thank you! I'll ask Madame Ursula about it right now..."
"Is there anybody willing to be Miss Maleficent's roommate?" Ursula was asking the crowd at the same time, but Aurora didn't hear her. "Come on, people! Maleficent needs a-"
"Excuse me, Madame-" Aurora stepped forward, raising her hand.
Ursula gasped theatrically. "Oh, how kind of you, Miss Aurora!"
Aurora looked confused, but still tried to smile. "What?"
Ursula took Aurora's hand and led her toward Maleficent. "You and Maleficent are now roomies! Isn't that exciting?"
"What?!" Aurora squeaked. She battled the urge to blush as she stood in the middle of the courtyard with all the other students laughing at her predicament. "No... I mean, I... Well..." Aurora sighed. "Yes, alright." She put on a smile and held out her hand for Maleficent to shake. "Nice to meet you."
Maleficent stared at her in response, blinking slowly. Aurora's face fell and she eventually pulled her hand back, feeling more embarrassed than before. Maleficent squinted at her for a few seconds, then breezed past her. Aurora turned to watch her leave the courtyard. The uneasy crowd parted to let Maleficent pass through, a few people being brave enough to insult her as she went. Aurora turned back around to talk to Ursula, but the woman had disappeared with Grimhilde. Aurora stood alone in the middle of a sea of people whispering and murmuring. When she spotted a few people giving her strange looks, she tried to hide her embarrassment.
A low whistle from behind her made Aurora turn to see Cindy and the others walking up to her. Gaston, who'd been the one to whistle, was now chortling and saying, "Tough break, honey."
"Aurora, that was so noble of you." Giselle said dramatically.
"Thanks..." Aurora muttered.
"No, really!" Snow White said, her eyes wide. "To volunteer to room with that girl... You are so good."
Giselle nodded in agreement. "Truly admirable."
Snow White giggled and took Aurora's hands in hers. "I'm so glad we're friends!" Then, she looked disappointed. "Although, it's too bad we won't get to be roommates."
"Well, I don't really like the girl they paired me with. Could I room with you?" Giselle asked her.
Snow frowned. "Who's your roommate?"
Giselle rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Meg. I'd much rather room with you."
Snow smiled sweetly. "Well, okay! Let's go talk to Madame Ursula about it!"
Giselle turned to Jasmine with a smirk. "Last chance, Jazz."
Jasmine laughed. "Yeah, right. I love you guys, but I'm not giving up my private room."
"Aww, that's too bad!" Gaston said. "I would've let you room with me." He gave her a suggestive look.
Jasmine rolled her eyes and playfully pushed him. "Shut up..."
Cindy smirked at Aurora and said, "Have fun with your new roommate, sweetie. I just can't wait to hear about how well you and Maleficent get along." With that, she turned and left with the others.
Aurora watched as the rest of the students slowly left, feeling numb as she stood alone in the courtyard. She turned toward the statue and silently prayed for the Blue Fairy to give her strength.
