"...Mother?" (A Descendants × Hadeficent story)

Ch. 4 - "It'll plague you for life, alright."

"We've put her in an isolated ward, as per your request, Hades."

Asclepius didn't look too happy to see his grand-uncle, but Hades didn't mind too much. "How is she? She isn't dying, is she?" Hades was more concerned over the fact that they had injected some liquid into her — a sodium (IV) drip, but of course, the Lord of the Underworld knew nothing of these modern, life-sustaining methods — and Asclepius was rather surprised, "Dying? She's far from it!" "Then what?" Hades wanted to barge into the room, to pull the needle from her skinny arm, but Asclepius quickly held him back, "She'll be rather fragile. I don't advise you to do that."

"Whose charge is she now, then?" Hades yanked his arm away irritably, tipping Asclepius off balance. Hades might not have his godly powers, since the manacles on his hands and the cuffs on his legs were designed by Zeus to suppress them for the while, but he was still one the of the strongest gods in existence. Those muscles weren't built for nothing. "Hera's, of course. And in about 16 and a ½ month's time, she will also be Eileithyia's charge." Asclepius answered calmly, leaving Hades staring at him for a while in confusion, before Asclepius drew a long breath; Hades was known for brawns, not really brains. What had he expected from his grand-uncle?

"The faerie is pregnant. You two will be expecting a baby in about 16½ months because she's been pregnant for about a month and a half. It's a miracle, actually, considering what you've said about the strange and dangerous encounters on the Isle. There have been no records of a successful crossbreed between god and faerie creature, furthermore with the no magic conditions of the Isle. But it has come to my conclusion that the barrier of the Isle is what is keeping her safe. Without the barrier blocking the magic, she would have already endured even more elements." Asclepius spoke rather factually, joining Hades to peer through the small glass pane to observe Maleficent, and Hades frowned as he recalled Asclepius's words, "Why 18 months? Isn't the normal length 9 months?"

"Faeries are not gods, but they are immortals too. They also have a long life span, and thus the duration of their development is also longer. My estimate is twice the average mortal's span, but I am not sure, since there has never been this exception." Asclepius explained, and from outside the ward, both the gods watched as the faerie began to stir awake, and even when barely conscious, Hades realised that while Maleficent did not know what had happened, her body did begin to react on its own — her hand had already begun to inch towards her abdomen before she knew it.

"Hades?" Maleficent's sharp eyes caught sight of her husband standing outside, and her horns were caught in the bed frame as she tried to lift her head. Luckily, Hades had already sensed that she needed help, and within seconds, the other man — or god — who had been with Hades had already opened the door, and her husband quickly came to her side, supporting her head with his steel shackles, "Mal, how are you feeling?"

"Woozy." Maleficent spoke hoarsely, her voice slightly tired and rough, "My abdomen is throbbing with a pulse, for some reason." "For a good reason." Asclepius studied her with great interest, although he did stand further away, having seen Hades's glare when he walked a little too close, "I'll leave my grand-uncle to break the news to you."

The door creaked shut, and Maleficent turned back to her husband, whose gaze was fixated on her hand, strangely. "Hades?" Maleficent called him softly, wondering what the man had told Hades that required him to break it to her personally, and her heart began to race slightly faster, blood pounding in her ears, "Hades, it's not something terminal, is it?" "It will plague you for life, possibly." Hades murmured, snapping out of his reverie, but from the way he said it, she understood that it was not quite a negative matter.

"Whatever could be so serious?" Maleficent relaxed slightly, and Hades took her good arm, the one that didn't have a needle in it, and he brought it to his lips, dragging his lips past it lightly, "The next part of marriage and family." "Which is..." Maleficent began, but she paused almost instantly, her eyes widened in surprise, "Hades, you don't mean..." "I do mean that, Mal." He smiled warmly at her, placing her hand on her own abdomen, and both of them stared at it for a moment, before Hades spoke.

"We'll be parents soon, Maleficent."

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"One last thing. Hera wants to see you."

Beast had met Hades briefly, and Auradon had brought back the blue flames much stronger than they had been before. "My sister? Not my brother?" Hades frowned, holding Maleficent in his embrace rather tightly, and Beast frowned at their intimate gestures; he had never imagined villains to be capable of such humane emotions, "Both of them."

"Both of us, brother." A familiar sharp voice rang, and Hades turned around to find his sister striding towards him in rather immodest clothes, wrapped in a peacock cloak, and Zeus accompanied his Queen as he approached his brother, "Hades. Long time no see." "To what do I owe this pleasure, your royalties of Olympus?" Hades put on a fake smile, and Maleficent slipped her hand in his, "Hades, this isn't the Isle."

"Damn right it isn't." He growled, but nevertheless, he cleared his throat, relaxing his shoulder in an attempt to seem more polite, "Yes, brother?" "Your wife..." Hera began, staring rather directly at Maleficent's abdomen, "Brother, this will be your firstborn. Born by a faerie. Your child will be sought after, and it will be worse, as it is your firstborn." "And what's more, we need help, running the Underworld." Zeus cleared his throat awkwardly, "I know you did reject me, but...this is a really good opportunity."

"What are you proposing?" Maleficent asked, surprising all three gods. Never had a mortal — although she wasn't quite one — dared speak before them. "When the child is born, we will take it. Care for it. Then it will be the next ruler of the Underworld." Hera spoke blatantly, and Maleficent's hand covered her stomach, "You want my child?" "Hades, I could care less about Hercules, or Heracles. This is an excellent offer, is it not?" Hera ignored Maleficent, approaching her brother, and yet Hades raised an eyebrow, "You just want a god's offspring. Then why not Ursula? Triton's sister...our dear brother Poseidon and Amphitrite's second child."

"You are one of the first gods. Of course your offspring matters more." Hera was very honest in speaking her intentions, but Hades merely scowled at his sister, before he turned to Zeus, "If you ever need to judge the souls, a video conference will do, unless there are other changes in the future, which I doubt so."

And with a snarl, Hades dragged Maleficent away, turning to Beast:

"Send me back to that godforsaken Isle!"

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