Work Text:
“Children, excuse me...” the four ‘VKs’ looked up from their work as the Fairy Godmother cleared her throat. “Now, as you know, today is Auradon Prep’s Family Day, and because your parents can’t be here in person due to...uh...” She laughed a little awkwardly. “Well, distance, we have arranged for a special treat.”
She saw in their eyes their apprehension. What did they think it was? Doubtless, coming from the Isle of the Lost, any number of nasty things.
Feeling quite proud of herself for her forethought, the Fairy Godmother wheeled the computer forwards and turned it on, entering the Zoom call.
Maleficent’s head filled the screen instantaneously, her beautiful face screwed up in a frown, obscuring everything else. “I can’t see them, or hear them...are you sure this is on?”
“Well you are in the way,” came Queen Regina’s voice, clearly amused, “let me take a look.”
Maleficent moved aside, and the Evil Queen came into view, her long ponytail hanging over one shoulder. “Hmm, maybe if I...no, that’s not it.”
In the background, Jafar and Cruella could be heard laughing uproariously. Cackling, one might say. Goodness, what was it like for the four children to grow up under something like this?
Fairy Godmother shuddered - she had raised Jane with care and love, but she doubted that the villains had taken the time.
“Here, let the teenage do it.”
A girl the same age as the children before her gently pushed Regina to the side. She had Maleficent’s silky black hair and high cheekbones, but her eyes were a strange, bright, almost dead blue that seemed to spring like fire from her pale face. A grin split her features. “Mom! You muted it, and the screen brightness is down to zero. How the Hades did you manage that?”
“Hey!” Yelled a male voice, “Theia, we raised you better than that!”
She rolled her eyes and ignored...whoever that was.
Apparently she was more skilled with technology than Maleficent or the Evil Queen, and the villains beamed as they finally saw the four children.
Fairy Godmother blinked.
No, it was not her imagination, Maleficent and the Evil Queen were smiling brightly at the sight of their daughters, eyes soft. Like Auradon mothers.
She hesitated.
Maybe it hasn’t been so bad to grow up on the Isle for the girls then.
Cruella and Jafar crowded next to the three females, followed by...was that Hades?
He was wearing a leather jacket over his robes, and his hair was hair rather than fire, but she couldn’t see who else it could be.
“Mamaidh, Táta, Althy.”
Malora, as the leader of the VKs, went first, nearly giving Fairy Godmother a heart attack as she addressed Hades of all people as father. She was smiling, and looked homesick - just like any child in the school on Family Day.
“Mal, how are you? Have you been eating enough? Are they kind? Have you been doing your lessons?”
“Woah!” She laughed and raised her hands. “Yeah, yeah, it’s great here, Mamaidh. Everyone’s nice...almost too nice coming from the Isle. No one’s jumped me or anything, I swear I’ve been eating and studying okay.”
“Well, that’s alright then. As long as you’re happy.” Maleficent sat back, looking for all the world like a still-concerned mother. For a moment, despite her horns and wings and clearly inhuman face, she looked normal, ordinary, like a hundred other worried mothers Fairy Godmother saw on a day to day basis. It was jarring.
“How’s my little girl doing?” Now it was Hades speaking, looking almost as worried as Maleficent. “Not causing too much trouble?”
“Only a little, Táta, I promise. Breaking into the kitchen to bake cookies at night is the worst thing we’ve done.”
“Hmmm.”
“I swear!”
“Hey, Táta, I want to talk to my sister.”
The teenager elbowed him lightly and then leaned forwards. “Lora, you’re so lucky to be at Auradon. Uma and her band of merry pirates are stirring up all kinds of trouble, and their moving into our territory.”
Evie started forwards. “Is Dizzy okay?”
“Yeah, yeah she’s fine. They don’t touch her, they know who they’ll deal with if they so much as scare her.”
Malora sighed. “You should have come with us Althy. It’s not the same without you.”
The girl shrugged. “Hey twinny, it had to happen some time. We can’t stay together all the time.”
After that, the somber mood lifted.
Surprisingly enough, even Cruella De Vil was more interested in her son than his attachment to Dude, and indeed barely noticed the dog in favour of joy over his tan and healthy appearance. Well, she did sniff a little when he barked, and quibbled over fleas, but quieted down when she saw Carlos stroking the dog with a smile.
Indeed, all the villains seemed to have long forgotten her presence there, focusing purely on their children.
When the call came to an end hours later, the four were smiling ear to ear.
“Thank you,” Mal said softly. “It was great to see them.”
She nodded her head. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now run along and have some fun.”
They turned to walk out, but then she thought better. “Malora. Why isn’t your sister at Auradon?”
She hadn’t even known Maleficent had twins, let alone twins with Hades of all people. No wonder Mal seemed brimming with overly restrained power all the time, if those two were her parents.
Mal shrugged. “One of us had to stay to protect the Isle. Not all the villains have changed for the better, and some kids will only trust another kid. Until things change, Althy or me will always be on the Isle, to look after things.”
“I see.” And in a way she did. It was an obligation, a moral obligation, the same as she had followed when she gave up her wand. Not something she would expect to see in the child of Maleficent and Hades, but then today had been a day of surprises.
The four children walked out, and for the first time, she noticed that there was a gap beside Mal, as if someone was missing. They kept that space for the girl they left on the Isle.
Fairy Godmother sniffed. Those poor twins.
Well, it was her job to create happiness and bring people together. Maybe she should take a more active role in it. Bringing Altheia to Auradon couldn’t be that hard, and it would certainly make four of her students very happy.
The Fairy Godmother always did end up making wishes come true. She didn’t need her wand to do it, that was for certain.