It Takes a Village

"It's Mother's Day!" Knotgrass crowed. "Of course we're allowed to be here! Now come on, come on, hurry up!"

"Ok, ok, all right, all right! Flittle is so heavy nowadays!" Thistlewit muttered under her breath as she flew after her oldest sister, both of them struggling to carry their middle sister in the middle of them. A second later, Thistlewit was left coughing and sputtering as a jet of pollen hit her face. "Flittle!" she complained at the blue flower.

"Girls! Enough!" Knotgrass snapped.

"But she—!"

"We are approaching the sacred grounds!"

Thistlewit shut up immediately. As bumbling as the three sisters could be, there was a reason they were selected as Aurora's original mothers. When they weren't too busy being idiots, they could be incredibly perceptive and protective.

She may consider Maleficent her mother, Knotgrass thought. Bah! It was US who raised her!

While Maleficent got to come and go as she pleased, being the cool mom who showed Aurora wonders and worlds she'd never seen before, the three sisters got the less glamorous job of taking care of Aurora during the day. Waking, feeding, changing, disciplining, all the not-fun stuff.

And do we get any thanks for our 16 years of hard work and sacrifice? No! She demotes us to auntie position! Knotgrass huffed, but as much as Aurora's thoughtlessness could get under her skin, she really was soft for the girl. They all were. That, in Knotgrass' opinion, was what made them mothers. Sure, they weren't perfect, but neither was Maleficent. They'd done their best, and their concern for their daughter—yes, she was theirs too—was real. Maybe Aurora would argue they didn't show that concern very well, but again, neither did Maleficent.

Maleficent was already at the holy grounds, kneeling, head bowed in silent prayer. Knotgrass and Thistlewit approached quietly, reverently, a rare thing for them, but a sign of respect, nonetheless. They set Flittle down as quietly as they could, placing her beside Maleficent.

If there is ANY proof that we ought be considered mothers too, look at Flittle's sacrifice! Knotgrass thought indignantly.

Maleficent finally looked up and turned to the three fairies, her face softer than any of them had ever seen it before.

Mercy Moors! Is she sick? Did she hurt her head? Thistlewit worried, but no, it was nothing like that. Maleficent just understood that which Knotgrass was already thinking. As much as she found the three fairies to be annoying little pests, she could still respect the sacrifice Flittle made to protect the Moor folk. And even during Aurora's christening, when Maleficent first blew in the doors, those three stooges had no hesitation about trying to protect Aurora. They were utterly ineffective, handwaved away in just a gust of air, but that made their decision to stand up against Maleficent all the more respectable. Especially since they, of all creatures, knew what she was capable of when she felt slighted.

Maleficent gave them a polite, respectful nod.

Oh, the poor dearie! Thistlewit worried again. For a time, the four fairies spoke in hushed tones and quiet conversation. Or at least, three of them did. Flittle could contribute only by using spells to interact with the world around them. Maybe one day, Maleficent would discover a cure, or invent a talking/translating spell, but not today. It was Mother's Day, and the four fairies were trying to honor every mother that came before them.

Even... Ingrith... Maleficent's lip curled as a snarl involuntarily pulled itself from her throat. She would never forgive that monster for nearly murdering her daughter. Many a time, Maleficent still wished to slay the true Mistress of Evil, and she was sure that had the three fairies seen what Maleficent saw—Ingrith shoving Aurora off a tower to save her own skin—the murderous intention would spread. But Maleficent was trying to forsake her old ways. Ingrith was utterly harmless now as a goat, so there was no cause for murder, no matter how badly Maleficent desired it.