Once Upon a Dream

To my dear granddaughter

"To my dear granddaughter,

I know you didn't expect to receive a letter from me, or even expect to have a granny, but yes Mal, you have a granny and you have a family. I'm afraid you don't know who I am, so let me introduce myself to you. Everyone, or much of the world knows me and refers to me as Nanny. I am a fairy, I grew up and spent much of my life in Fairyland with my sister Helena, or as everyone now knows me, Fairy Godmother. While my sister dedicated herself to being a godmother, I was called to take care of the fairy school at a young age and remained as principal as long as I possibly could. However, if I can confess the truth to you, the best days of my life came much later, when I was returning home from a long trip.

There was a time when the fairies interacted with humans not only to fulfill their wishes or take care that there was no lack of food at the change of seasons. I believe that now in their time they hardly come out of hiding, but in those days I actively went out to solve situations that only magical beings could solve. Ironically, while I was taking care of human problems, the fairies could not handle an easy situation.

That day I arrived home very tired, but as soon as I set foot in Fairyland my forces were renewed and I gained a new reason for living. Hidden in a tree crowded with crows was a little fairy with bright green eyes and as beautiful as you would expect a little fairy to be. She was perfect. She had no wings, but her little horns were pointed and well designed. Her name was Maleficent, unfortunately this name was given to her because of bad people, fairies who didn't deserve to be called that. Maybe if it were up to me her name would be something else and I don't think she would ever like that. From that day on I stopped being just Nanny, the director or sister of the Fairy Godmother, after this day I became a mother, the mother of Maleficent.

Male was in many things different from the fairies of her age. It wasn't her lack of wings or the color of her skin that made her different from the others, it was who she was. Fairies most of the time only care about flying and smiling, but my little girl had to learn what happiness was, while learning to accept who she was. You can't imagine how hard it was to show her that I really loved her and would not abandon her for anything in this world. So smart, that school was insufficient for Maleficent. Of the hundreds of books that I studied during all my life, the little girl could read like a bedtime story. When I was with her I forgot who I was. I never imagined being a mother before, but since she came along that's all I wanted to be. Waking her up, making her breakfast, helping to take care of her crows, which were many by the way, teaching her magic, reading with her and finally putting her to bed made me forget the burden that life had given me.

I don't want you to be scared my granddaughter, you don't know how it moves me just to write these words, but I am not just any fairy, my magic allows me to see the future, not like a seer, I see traces of what is to come, that's why I know about you. You have other secrets too, but they are irrelevant now. Besides this, the knowledge I have acquired over the years has made me aware of the existence of a powerful book. The Book of Fairy Tales. This book. Before I saw it as a curse, how could a simple goal write people's lives? I watched and watched closely as it described the lives of kings and queens. Humans, they are so fools, they create their own problems and don't realize that most of them could be solved with conversation. They let life get so complicated that only magic can solve them. I am rambling on too much.

I raised Maleficent, I didn't know what parenting was, but I was learning and over the years I saw the little fairy turn into a beautiful, intelligent, confused teenager. Mal, the Maleficent you know is not the same as the one I took care of. I showed her that she didn't have to be a fairy if she didn't want to be, she could be a great sorceress, with the knowledge she had, she could do anything, but no matter how hard we try, there is no escaping who we really are. On the day of her sixteenth birthday, that's when I lost her forever.

She wanted to pass the wish-granting test and become a fairy godmother, and not even Ruby, Martha, and Lucinda, who were the witches she admired the most, could convince her not to take the test. Not that she couldn't do it, but I wanted so badly for my daughter to see that she could be much more than her insecurities showed her. I couldn't imagine how cruel those beings who were supposed to help everyone could be. Maleficent was judged all her life for being different, it wasn't the figures or the lack of wings that kept the other fairies apart, it was the innocence that every fairy should have and some of them didn't. Mal, forgive me if I can't explain it to you clearly, if you ask Clarion will explain how everything happened that day in great detail, because for me everything happened like a fog. I saw Maleficent crying for her lovely raven, the fairies embarrassed, and I well remember the disappointment in the green eyes as they looked at me and knew that I had lied.

I meant no harm, what the Book showed was a destructive monster and what I saw was the little fairy who could not control the gleam in her eyes. Yes, as a director and a fairy I knew that it is impossible to change the views one has or even go against the Fairy Tale Book. If Zeus tried to destroy and failed miserably, imagine me? When Maleficent looked at me I stopped being her mother and became one more of the other people who lied to her. The hatred was evident, my sister and I could feel the anger coming out of her, but even if we didn't have that power it was clear to anyone. In a minute or less everything that had been constructed went down, not only the school, but my relationship with my daughter.

After that, everything changed, the sweet and laughing Maleficent went away with that fire and in her place was born a woman full of rage, but there was still hope, not for me, but for the future. Mal, your mother doesn't love you, because she is evil, Maleficent chose not to love anymore, she felt that love had hurt her too much to want to love or be loved again. My heart ached and hers even more, because I believe that when she took that hateful potion she saw that she would lose the chance to live a great love and especially to love the most adorable little girl. Maleficent became the villain that the world was not prepared for. I saw helpless kingdoms destroyed simply because she wanted them to be, lives were wiped out so that she could gain her sovereignty as the evil queen. I finally saw Philip wield and drive a sword into her body. I swear to you Mal that never in my entire life have I suffered so much, I don't remember crying as much as I did when I heard the screams of the huge dragon. I have lost my daughter forever.

You deserved a better mom, you deserved the Maleficent I saw growing up, you deserved to be loved from the day you came into the world. Your father, I know it's hard to see now, but Hades is a good man. Maleficent may not have loved him, but I thank him for staying by your side and I still believe he will be a good father to you. Life hasn't smiled on you much either.

Mal, a few days ago when I first saw you I saw your purple hair, the deep dimples and the eyes just like my sweet Maleficent. You made me smile again, because even though I can't meet you, I know I will have a beautiful granddaughter. Not only beautiful, but smart, strong, and full of magic. Mal, love is hard, but it is also easy, your life so far has been too complicated for such a young girl. However, I need you to believe that your story is not only this, your future is wonderful. You are not a Maleficent, you have friends, (I read that Grimhilde will have a beautiful little girl who will be very important in your journey, as well as a young white-haired boy and a handsome young man, much like the men of Agrabah) and your mother grew up alone, having only me. You allowed yourself to be loved and to love, nothing is as beautiful as love.

Mal, you will have many challenges, but always remember my dear, you are strong and even though it is hard to feel, know that I love you, I love you without even knowing you personally and being able to hold you. Always you will have me with you.

With love,

Nanny.

Suddenly the ground disappeared from Mal's feet and she found herself crying as never before.