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“But I’m not a fairy!” Maleficent protested.
“Of course you are, my dear. What in the Fairylands gave you the idea you aren’t a fairy?” Nanny asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Right! You don’t know! And that’s exactly my point. There are many things you don’t know, and the only way you will learn them is by going to school!”
“But…”
“But nothing,” Nanny said firmly. “Don’t worry about those flighty featherhead fairies. If they say or do one thing that makes you sad, you tell me. That goes for your instructors, as well. And I will be there, my dear. Every hour of every single day, I’ll be at your disposal without fail.”
“Will you?” Maleficent asked.
“Yes, my dearest. I am the headmistress, after all.”
So Maleficent’s education began. It started out slowly and wasn’t quite what Maleficent expected. She learned the properties of magical plants and how to brew potions, and she easily mastered enchanting inanimate objects to do mundane tasks. But Maleficent could tell that her teachers didn’t like her, even though she was brighter and more advanced than any of the other students. They didn’t show her the affection or care they showed the other students. That didn’t bother Maleficent, except that she often found herself without much to do.
During flying lessons, while other fairies learned how to use their wings properly, she sat by herself and read books she had found tucked away on Nanny’s bookshelves. Nanny had thought the books were hidden where Maleficent couldn’t find them. They contained the sort of magic Maleficent had expected to learn in fairy classes. So, guided by her books, Maleficent began to practice her own magic.
Maleficent quickly realized that she could teach herself almost anything she wanted to do by reading a book. There wasn’t a subject that didn’t fascinate her. She coveted her time alone after school in her tree house, where she could read, and she’d often share her findings with her crows. Maleficent had decorated her tree house with the various things her crows and ravens brought to her. She found it interesting that some crows were drawn to particular items. Opal had a fondness for brightly colored pieces of sea glass, shiny buttons, and beautiful beads like those found on a fancy ball gown. While some of Maleficent’s birds brought her herbs for her spells, others brought colorful feathers, random teacups, brass bells, and anything else that struck their fancy. She loved spending time with her crows and taught them everything she learned on the subjects of bird lore and magic. She started to teach them how to open their minds so she could see through their eyes when they traveled, and how to communicate with other creatures to learn about their lands. Maleficent hadn’t known that so many other lands existed until her crows told her stories of the different realms that stretched in every direction into what seemed like a never-ending eternity. She felt lucky to have her pets, especially in light of how little in common she had with her schoolmates. The other fairies were incessantly buzzing around each other, complimenting one another for the silliest of things.
“Merryweather, your wings look lovely today!” was something Maleficent heard far too often in the classroom while she was trying to brew nightshade in her cauldron. The other fairies in Maleficent’s class seemed to defer to Merryweather. In Maleficent’s opinion, Merryweather was a rather unremarkable fairy and was far too bossy. Nevertheless, she seemed to be the favorite of all the instructors, which made her all the more impossible to deal with. Despite her penchant for bullying and her inflated sense of self, Merryweather was a good student. She spent her breaks in the courtyard studying and tutoring the other students. Maleficent thought she and the fairy could be friends—if Merryweather didn’t dislike her so much. There wasn’t a day that went by when Maleficent wasn’t teased or looked down on by her classmates. If she was trying to study or work at a spell, her classmates would mock her for having to walk from her cauldron to the pantry and back instead of flying. They’d whisper nasty things as they fluttered by, like “Wingless freak!” or “Ogre horns!”
One afternoon in class, Fauna, one of Merryweather’s best friends, raised her hand to ask a question. Fauna was a sweet-faced fairy dressed in green. She seemed too nervous to ask Miss Petal the question when she called on her, but Merryweather nudged her on. “Miss Petal, wouldn’t it be more…uh…pleasant if Maleficent wore something to cover her disgusting ogre horns in class?” Fauna said in a small voice.
Maleficent looked up from her bubbling cauldron to see what the teacher would say. The teacher grew scarlet under Maleficent’s steely gaze. “I daresay it would be more pleasant, and less…uh…distracting. Perhaps I will say something to her guardian.”
All the students were giggling at Miss Petal’s reply when the class was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the headmistress, who shot the teacher and students a scathing look. “I daresay Maleficent would find it more pleasing if you all had your wings snipped! She wouldn’t have you buzzing around her head while she’s trying to work her spell, that’s for certain! But you don’t see her vocalizing her every daydream, do you?”
Maleficent grew white with embarrassment, a striking difference from her usual green complexion. “I never…I didn’t…” she stammered.
“And who could blame you if you did?” Nanny looked at the students as she continued. “You’re a shameful bunch, the lot of you. Disgusting horns indeed! Did you ever stop to think there are creatures in this world who might find wings disgusting?
Have you not yet realized that the sun doesn’t rise and set by fairy standards? There are other creatures in this world, dear ones! Beautiful, lovely, and powerful creatures that don’t look like me or you! You’d do well to remember that, Fauna! All of you would!”
The fairies didn’t pay much attention to the One of Legends when she went on about such things. She didn’t make sense. Everyone knew fairy wings were beautiful! How could anyone in all the lands ever consider them otherwise? The One of Legends was much too serious. She wasn’t at all like her sister. The Fairy Godmother was proud of her wings, sang beautiful songs, and taught the best class of all: wish granting! None of the fairies could wait until they were old enough for wish-granting class.
As far as Merryweather was concerned, that was the highest honor for fairy students. The fairies knew in their hearts that Maleficent would never make it that far. Not that she had much of a chance with Merryweather, Fauna, and Flora being up for wish-granting status in the same year as her. The Fairy Godmother herself had said she felt there was a very good chance Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather would be awarded status. And since wish-granting status was bestowed on only three students in any graduating class, it seemed silly for Maleficent—or any other student, for that matter—to pursue it as her fairy calling. Besides, there were many other important things a fairy could do upon graduating from the academy.
Giving Merryweather and her friends a nasty look, Nanny walked out the door. Once she left, the class erupted in a storm of protest. “What does she see in Maleficent?” Merryweather yelled.
“She can’t even fly!” one fairy screamed.
“You’re not even a fairy. You don’t belong here. Go back to Hades!” said another.
Maleficent sat rigid and afraid. She didn’t understand why all the fairies hated her so much. Was it really her horns? Or was something terribly wrong with her? Was she evil?
She didn’t feel evil.
She felt like everyone else. At least, she thought she did. Come to think of it, she didn’t really know how everyone else felt. Maybe she was evil.
My parents must have known I was evil. That’s why they left me in the crow tree. They wanted me to die.
As the taunting continued, Maleficent was aware of something swelling up inside her, a horrible burning sensation she didn’t like. She felt like she was slowly catching fire from the inside, as if a flame was struggling to get out of her. Before she knew it, her entire body was engulfed in a stifling green blaze.
Maleficent heard the other students screaming. But before she could process what was happening, she found herself alone in her tree house, confused as to how she had gotten there. She shook uncontrollably with rage and fear, crying harder than she ever had before. The shrieks of the other fairies were still echoing in her ears when Nanny appeared with a worried look on her face.
“I didn’t…I didn’t mean it!” Maleficent stammered.
