"Pretty birdy! Pretty birdy!" Aurora giggled as she looked up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the sun. There, among the clouds, she spotted a black speck swooping and soaring. It was a blackbird, the very same that had visited her so many times before. She was amazed at how long his lifespan seemed to be, for they'd known one another for years by then, but she was grateful for every day they spent together. Today, he was showing off for her, performing all sorts of aerial, acrobatic tricks.
"Woah!" she laughed and clapped as he flew upside down before spinning right side up. Then he dipped and dived, coming dangerously close to her cabin rooftop, but never once did he actually touch it. Instead, as he banked a curve, the tips of his feathers grazed the chimney, but he stayed in complete control of his actions and had a smooth landing on the picnic table she had set up outside of the cabin.
"Bravo! Well done, you!" Still laughing and clapping, Aurora fed the blackbird some leftover scraps from breakfast. The blackbird swallowed them down greedily, his beady, black eyes shining appreciatively. "Gosh, I wish I could fly!" Aurora looked back at the sky again as the blackbird hopped to and fro along the length of the table.
"Squaw?" he asked, tilting his head this way and that.
"Mmhmm," Aurora nodded. "Oh, I wouldn't give to have a pair of wings like yours! Strong, beautiful, I could depend on them…" She heaved a wistful and longing sigh, dreaming of things she knew would never come true. The blackbird, meanwhile, watched her intently.
Ah! If only I could give you a ride! Unfortunately, a blackbird was too small for a human child. Maleficent could perhaps turn him into a larger creature, but then his cover would be blown. All he could do was watch helplessly in frustration as Aurora continued to stare at the azure sky.
No, wait, I think I might have an idea! It wasn't the greatest, the blackbird would've been the first to admit, but it was the closest he could get to giving Aurora wings…
"A kite?" Aurora blinked in surprise as the blackbird returned to her cozy little cottage in the woods. Pinched between his beak was a string. Attached to the other end of it was a kite. "Did you drag that all the way here?" she couldn't help but chuckle. The blackbird nodded proudly.
I know it's not exactly what you wanted, but… Maybe you can still pretend…? Had he had lips, he would've given her a nervous smile. Aurora was a good kid, though, a kindhearted spirit. Even though she wanted to be the one flying—not the kite—she accepted the gift graciously, and 10 minutes later, she was giggling as she watched her kite swoop and soar after the blackbird.
"This is fun!" she muttered to herself, beaming as the blackbird cawed and crowed above her, laughing but also trying to avoid being struck by the kite. Aurora was still just learning how to fly, after all.
Don't worry! Let ME be your wings! The blackbird thought as he flapped his wings, Aurora's kite following closely after him.
ooo
"You're late."
"For what?" Diaval scoffed. "It's not like we have a schedule to keep!"
"You're late."
"Ugh, fine, fine, fine. I'm sorry, Mistress. There. Better now?"
"You could stand to lose the sarcasm and find a better sense of time."
"You're one to talk!" Even as Diaval continued to scoff and taunt the Mistress of All Evil, he couldn't help but marvel secretly at how much life had changed. When first they met, Maleficent rescued the blackbird from being slain by a farmer and his dog. Back then, Diaval was none too pleased, forced to shed his wings in favor of becoming the very creature that nearly killed him, the very creature he so despised: human.
"What have you done to my beautiful self?" It was not merely the ramblings of a vain, madman. It was a very serious question. She'd taken away his wings, his flight, his freedom. She'd made him a human man. A disgusting creature that even she loathed, having been deeply hurt by one herself in years prior. Whether it was out of pity, or loneliness, or need of a servant, Diaval had no idea why Maleficent chose to save his life that day, but he was a bird of honor, and despite his initial dislike of her, he still pledged his fealty. Now here they stood, even more years later. He still called her "Mistress", viewing her as his owner, but they were closer to equals now than they'd ever been before.
"Hmph." Maleficent had seen Diaval swooping and soaring through the clouds earlier, and she noticed the strange, large, yellow thing flying after him. For half a second, her eyes flashed in protective fury as she raised a hand, ready to blast Diaval's pursuer clean out of the sky. A second later, though, she realized it was a kite. A human toy this deep in the Moors? She stalked closer and realized who was holding onto the other end. That ghastly little beastie-girl, Aurora! Perhaps it sounded silly to say—and she would never say it out loud—but she was jealous of Diaval in that moment, and Aurora. He could fly, and in a way, she was flying with him.
"Oh, come on, Mistress!" Diaval sighed, pleading. Would it kill her to use her words and explain why she's mad FOR ONCE? She's like an petulant child, even though she claims to disdain those. Besides, I thought the stereotype was that men were the ones bad at talking about their feelings. Well, Diaval certainly never had any trouble making his opinions known loud and clear.
The pair continued to banter, and the next loud opinion Diaval had to state was, "Well, if you'd just transform me into something big, maybe you could let me be your wings!"
All she'd done was sulk and skulk about her own lost wings, and how lucky Diaval was to still have his waiting for him any time he shifted back into an avian form. While it was true that Maleficent did not have the same ability, Diaval thought the loopholes were obvious. At first, Maleficent glared at him, nose crinkling in disgust at the very suggestion, but his words slowly sank in…
Suddenly, the ground was gone, and wind rushed through Maleficent's hair. Up, up, up she went, riding a massive, black dragon.
See?! Isn't this fun, Mistress?! Diaval gave a bellowing laugh as he plunged himself and Maleficent into a kill-spiral, pulling up at the last possible second. The Moors floors were inches away from their faces, and Diaval's claws scraped the ground, then suddenly, he was sky-high again.
Maleficent gripped his back tightly, body was tense not with, but exhilaration. It still shamed her that she was not flying by the power of her own wings, but to taste the air like this again was more than worth it. For just a second, she forgot all the rest of her worries as her noble steed carried her in front of the shining, crescent moon. Down below, a teenage girl peeked out her window and gasped at what she saw. Had she been able to fly with them, she would've heard the dragon singing to his beloved queen.
Let me be your wings. Let me be your only love! Let me take you far beyond the stars. Let me lift you high above! Everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours. Anything that you desire, anything at all. Every day I'll take you higher, and I'll never let you fall! Stay with me, fly with me, and I will be your wings!