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O nce upon a time, there were two kingdoms that were the worst of neighbors. So vast was the discord between them that it was said only a great hero or a terrible villain might bring them together. In one kingdom lived folk like you and me, with a vain and greedy king to rule over them. They were forever discontent, and envious of the wealth and beauty of their neighbors. For in the other kingdom, the Moors, lived every manner of strange and wonderful creature. And they needed neither king nor queen, but trusted in one another.
In a great tree on a great cliff in the Moors lived one such spirit. You might take her for a girl, but she was not just any girl. She was a faerie. And her name was Maleficent.
Unfolding her wings, Maleficent lifted herself up and out of the Rowan Tree. As her wings carried her higher into the sky, she soared on the wind, dipping and spinning with ease over the Moors. Climbing higher and higher into the sky, she burst through the clouds and then hung suspended in the air. A look of pure joy washed over her face as she delighted in the moment. Then, with a laugh, she swooped back down.
She flew along a rushing river, the water burbling happily over boulders of various sizes. As she saw the rocks, a glimmer came into Maleficent’s eyes and she began to gesture with her hands. Below, the boulders began to move and shift according to Maleficent’s magical direction. When she was done, she paused to look over her handiwork—a beautiful waterfall.
That task complete, she continued along, greeting the river rock creatures as she passed them. “Morning!”
She flew over the wallerbogs, who were jovially throwing mud at one another. As soon as they noticed her, one of them wound up, ready to include Maleficent in their game.
“No, no, don’t do it!” Maleficent warned. “Don’t you—”
The wallerbog threw the mud, missing Maleficent and hitting a hedgehog faerie instead.
“Ha! You missed me!” Maleficent laughed, waving good-bye and flying through the forest above a few skating water fairies.
“Lovely work, girls,” she called. She looked behind her to see some pesky dew faeries following her. “Hey! Find your own gusts of wind!”
Suddenly, Maleficent noticed Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit waving at her from a rock. The three pixies could be rather vain and flighty, but they’d never looked so agitated.
“What’s all the fuss?” she asked, landing in front of them. Knotgrass started speaking rapidly. “Maleficent, did you hear? The border guards have—”
“Why do you get to tell her?” Flittle interrupted her. “I want to tell her!”
“I want to!” Thistlewit echoed.
Maleficent shifted, growing weary of their tiresome ways. “Tell me what?”
“Maleficent, the border guards …” Flittle started. “The border guards have found a human thief at the pool of jewels!” Thistlewit burst out. “Sorry,” she said to the other pixies.
Maleficent’s eyes grew wide and she took off into the air, hundreds of thoughts reeling in her head. A human. Here in the Moors. Now was her chance to see what a human was like. Maleficent’s curiosity was piqued.
Maleficent landed on a rock in front of the great waterfall. The two guarding sentries stood in the water, gesturing toward a part of the brush. Seeing Maleficent, Balthazar called out to her in his native woodish tongue.
“I’m not afraid,” Maleficent told him. “Besides, I’ve never seen a human up close.” She peered through the brush and made out the figure of a boy about her age.
“What did he take from the pool?” she asked. Balthazar screeched, answering her.
A stone. She sighed. “Come out!” she said to the brush.
“No!” came a defiant voice from behind it. “They mean to kill me. And besides, they’re hideous to look at.”
Balthazar screeched once more, this time quite offended.
“That’s extremely rude!” Maleficent chided. To Balthazar she said, “Don’t listen to him. You’re classically handsome.” She turned once more to the brush, her patience wearing thin. “It’s not right to steal but we don’t kill people for it. Come out. Come out this instant!”
A slight boy dressed in meager clothes emerged. His eyes widened at the sight of Maleficent.
“You’re her,” he said.
Maleficent looked him up and down. He was about her height, which seemed small for a human. “Are you fully grown?”
“No.”
Maleficent turned to Balthazar. “I believe he’s just a boy.”
“And you’re just a girl,” the boy said. “I think.”
Maleficent narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”
“I’m called Stefan. Who are you?”
“I’m Maleficent.” She paused and then asked the question she really wanted to ask. “Do you intend us harm?”
Stefan blinked at her, clearly surprised. “What? No.”
“Then I’ll guide you out of the Moors.”
Balthazar screeched once more.
“Yes, right,” she answered. She looked at Stefan. “You have to give it back.”
“Give what back?” Stefan asked.
Maleficent shared a look with the sentries and sighed. Holding out her hand, she stared at Stefan, who groaned, knowing he’d been beat. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a beautiful stone, and tossed it to her. Maleficent caught it smoothly, and gently tossed it into the glittering water. Then she gestured for Stefan to follow her. She felt bad for the human. Since he didn’t have wings, they’d have to go on foot.
“If I knew you would throw it away, I would have kept it,” Stefan whined.
“I didn’t throw it away. I delivered it home. As I’m going to do for you.”
They walked in silence for a while, Maleficent guiding Stefan through the forest and into a clearing. In the distance, past acres of fields, stood the castle. Maleficent stared at it, wondering what would be so appealing about closing oneself off from the outside with such high walls.
Noticing Maleficent’s gaze, Stefan said, “Someday I’ll live there. In the castle.”
Maleficent was not impressed. “Where do you live now?”
“In a barn,” Stefan replied.
Now this was something Maleficent wanted to hear more about. “A barn? So your parents are farmers, then?”
“My parents are dead.”
Maleficent looked at Stefan sharply. Maybe they had more in common than she’d thought. “Mine too,” she said softly.
“How did they die, plague?” Stefan asked.
“They were killed by humans. In the last war.” She gestured toward the forest. “Now all the family I have is in there.”
Stefan frowned. “That’s sad.”
“No it’s not,” Maleficent responded defensively. “They’re all I need.”
“We’ll see each other again,” Stefan said suddenly.
Maleficent sighed, knowing how much the other Fair Folk distrusted humans. “You really shouldn’t come back here, you know. It’s not safe.”
“Would that not be up to me?” Stefan asked, stepping toward her.
“It would,” she replied.
“And if I made that choice, if I came back … would you be here?” He was only a few inches away from her now.
Maleficent suddenly felt awkward and nervous. “Perhaps.”
He offered his hand, and she reached out to take it. Suddenly, a searing hot flash hit her finger, and she pulled her hand back. Glancing down, she saw his ring had left a red burn.
“What happened?” Stefan asked, shocked.
“Your ring is made of iron,” Maleficent explained, shaking her hand to alleviate the pain.
“I’m sorry.” Then he took the ring off and tossed it far into the field. Maleficent was touched. No one had ever done something so selfless for her.
Stefan smiled and turned to walk away. She watched him hurry down a hill and then turn around.
“I like your wings!” he called.
Maleficent smiled widely, which turned into a giggle despite her. It appeared her parents had been right. Not all humans were bad. Though she felt she’d better keep this rendezvous a secret from the others for now. She knew they would just tell her how dangerous it was to talk to a human.
At a distance, Stefan ran his fingers over the other smooth stone he had taken from the pool, which lay safely in his pocket.