#Orangtail-works

[orangetail-works]

A Phoenix and A Raven: Family Alphabet

Chapter: Family Alphabet

A/N: This one came from Tumblr.  I had put out that I needed some prompts or inspiration as I wanted some more writing to unblock my current writing block.  It's strange, but it works.  Anyway, this is kind of a continuation of the first Alphabet, now with more Selene and big sister Aurora as well.  Of course, there is still no fitting x word I could find, so again one that ended in x was chosen.  Thank you, @taradiddled!

Attachment

Diaval was an old bird by anyone's standards but now had a young fledgling of his own blood.  Something he thought he'd never have.  He believed his attachment to Aurora and Maleficent would be all he ever needed. It was true at the time, but little Selene was a blessing in many ways.  A complete surprise for her mother, a miracle to him and a welcomed sister to Aurora.  Never had he thought he would become so attached to so many that were not raven.  He believed that he would attach himself to only one other.  Now there were three.

Belong

Maleficent searched for a place to belong as there were no fairy like her in the Moors.  She thought she had found that place with Stefan as he was different from other humans.  Then the betrayal, and she was lost once again.  She thought maybe when she got her wings back, but there still wasn't that tangible feeling.  Then her and Diaval and Aurora became a little family, the feeling grew warm and comfortable.  Then on that evening that Selene came into the world, everything finally set into place.  Diaval's mate and mother of Aurora and Selene, she belonged completely.

Couple

“I have always wondered,” Aurora whispered to her parents as both Rose and Selene were down for a nap.

Diaval and Maleficent sat close together against the base of Rowen Tree as Diaval smoothed his fingers through Maleficent's feathers.

“I know those of the Moors do not marry like humans, so what title do you go by?”

“Mates,” Maleficent said casually, “As both of our kinds mate for life, we don't have to go any further than that.”

Diaval looked from his mate to his daughter, “I thought being a couple instead of a single was enough.”

Doll

Aurora doted on her baby sister every chance she had.  She let Rose babble with her grandparents during visits while she got to play with her sister.  Aurora dug into a saddle bag from her horse and pulled out a small plush doll that was sown together by one of her seamstresses. It wasn't anything fancy and even used more of the natural materials instead of silks and velvet.  Aurora took care to add feathers to the doll's back herself.

“For my dear little sister,” Aurora announced and let the toddler grab and shake the doll in excitement, “You're welcome.”

Eyebrow

As Selene and Rose both grew into childhood, they discovered the ins and outs of getting into and out of trouble.  Rose inherited her mother's curious nature and Selene had Maleficent's impishness.  The young girls jumped from rock to rock over the ponds and hid through the many forests.  Diaval kept an eye on them from above to keep them safe, but was a  push over when it came to their pouts when they found to be in trouble.  The girls had few fears, except when Maleficent caught wind of their wrong doings and an eyebrow would lift in question.

Father

The first time that Aurora had called Diaval 'father' was on a day like any other.  A small picnic shared all together with Phillip and Maleficent.

She offered him a plate, “My father, always the hungry one.”

The name warmed him from the inside out.  She was always his fledgling, but to know she saw him as her true father was a welcomed shock.

When Selene began to talk he had another blow while rocking her to sleep one night, his hands over her small wings.

“Love Papa,” she whispered as she drifted off.

“Papa loves you, too.”

Gown

Selene watched from the chaise as her sister and niece were fitted for their newest gowns.  There was a celebration in the Perceforest kingdom for the anniversary of Aurora's reign.

“Sister, why do humans have to wear such heavy cloth?” Selene asked as she pulled at Rose's skirts.

“It's tradition to wear finery on special occasions,” Aurora explained.

“Seems like a silly tradition,” Selene giggled.

“Mother, if everyone in the royal family should wear a gown, why not your sister?” Rose asked with her own smirk.

Minutes later Selene frowned on the pedestal next to Rose.

Horns

“Papa, why don't you have horns like mama and me?” Selene asked when she was four.

He looked to Maleficent for help and she only raised her brows in wonder of his answer.

“Well, fledgling, I'm a raven.  How silly would I look with horns?” he asked and tapped her nose.

“You're not like other ravens.  Who knows, maybe you would do well with horns.”

“I would look silly,” he argued.

“Do I look silly?” she asked and pulled at her horns.

“You and your mother look beautiful with your horns.  Never believe otherwise.”

Innocent

Selene never knew the evils of war and human greed.  She and Rose were innocents and if Maleficent had any say, they would never see war.  She took great care to shield her family from the ugliness of conflict. Aurora and Phillip strove to do the same.

“She will stay innocent,” Maleficent said as Selene slept.

“You can't keep her locked up.  You know as well as I do that she will see it one day.  The bad that comes with the good.”

“What do we do?”

“Prepare her for it.  That will keep her safe.”

Jewel

“Why do humans covet these trinkets so often?” Selene asked and rolled a jewel from the pools between her fingers.  She showed Rose and pushed it toward her face, “Do you feel drawn to it?”

“Father has many jewels in the treasury that are pretty enough.  I don't see the need for more,” Rose scoffed, “Return it to the pool, where it belongs.”

“Off you go back home,” Selene whispered to the jewel and dropped it into the water.

“I don't understand it either,” Rose sighed, “There are more precious things in this world.  Like family.”

Knee

At six, Selene's wings became heavy with full feathers instead of soft down.  Her wings would be able to carry her to the sky.  But now, she sat on the ground with her scrapped knee tight to her chest.

“Landing is not the easiest to do with larger wings trying to pull you back up,” Maleficent sighed and knelt over her daughter.  She put her hand over the injury and let her magic heal.

“I am mess.”

“I was too.  You truly are my daughter,” Maleficent glanced up to see the proud smile that graced Selene's face.

Leader

She knew that her sister was the Queen of the Moors, but Selene also understood that her mother was the leader of the Dark Fey.  Selene sat at the top of the hill that overlooked the meeting of the Dark Fey clans with her father sat at her side.  They watched as Maleficent kept the peace between the clans and the humans as well as command respect.

“Mother is a queen like 'Rora, huh Papa?”

“Not quite, little love. But close enough.  She will always be a queen to me.”

“Is that why you call her Mistress?”

Memory

Memories were a tricky thing, Diaval thought.  He could remember as far back as the moment that he emerged from his egg, he could remember the first time he took flight and he definitely remembered when he met his mate and the birth of their daughter.  All happy memories, each better than the last.  But for the life of him, he couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as he did in this single moment.  Both of his daughters stood on each side as Maleficent told all three of them that their family would be growing yet again.  Then he fainted.

Nursery

Diaval was hard at work on the nest to rest their newest addition. Aurora danced around the cliff side as she added touches that she had brought from the castle.  Maleficent smirked at the work that they were all fussing over for the new little one that was to come.

“I don't see why we just have them sleep with us as we did with Selene,” she offered from her seat.

“It was a shame too.  Any sibling of mine will have a proper nursery!” Aurora swore.

Rose and Selene shook their heads in wonder.  Adults were strange.

Overlook

Selene gulped as she looked down at the drop.  Her wings folded against her back in fear of the fall.  Diaval's hand rested against her back and knelt down to come eye to eye.

“You have nothing to fear.  Even if the wind doesn't catch you, your mother and I will,” he swore.  He gave her a grin, ran to the edge where he shifted into a raven and circled through the air.  He cawed at her gently.

“Follow your father,” Maleficent urged her.

She took a breath for courage and took the leap, her wings wide open.

Privacy

They knew that once they had a child, the life of privacy that they had grown accustomed to was over.  There would be less intensity with intimacy as there would always be a pair of eyes watching.  Actions that were thrilling would halt as there would be a smaller person underfoot and within hearing range.  That is the exact reason why Maleficent and Diaval were so thankful for Aurora.  Their daughters adored one another and for one day, every fortnight, their sought after privacy was restored.    But if ever needed, they would trade every form of privacy for their children.

Quiet

Maleficent rested along a thick branch that overlooked one of the many lakes as her daughter and granddaughter cooled themselves in the waters.  She leaned her head back against the branch as her hands laid softly over her now swelling belly.  She could feel herself falling into slumber in the quiet.

“It's too quiet,” she muttered and opened her eyes to find Selene over her, a hand full of water held overhead, “You think that wise?”

“I think it funny,” she opened her hands.

Maleficent's magic turned the water back at her daughter, “You're right.  It is funny.”

Related

“I understand why father doesn't have horns, but why don't you have wings?” Selene asked Aurora while they were in Ulstead's library.

Rose looked up from her book, “Why haven't you asked me that?”

“Phillip doesn't have any wings and I got Papa's wings, so I thought that's why.”

“I'm a human, Selene,” Aurora explained, “I won't have wings.”

“Papa's a raven and Mama's fairy, how are you human?”

“Mother and father raised me since I was a baby.”

“You're not my sister?”

“I am.  Never doubt that. Family is more than blood.”

Sister

Just as the sun crested the mountains that surrounded the Moors, Selene was woken by her mother groaning heavily and her father rustling the branches of the Rowen tree.  An hour later a babe was welcomed.

“Come meet your brother.”

Selene knelt next to her and looked at the babe.  Dark brown hair was broken by two swirls that would become horns.  One small black wing shifted over his shoulder as his eyes blinked slightly to look up at her.  His small hand wrapped around one of her fingers.

“This is Kieran.”

“Hello Kieran... I'm your sister.”

Teacher

After Keiran was born, he was never alone.  If one of his parents were not watching him than his sisters were.  But it was Selene who took the responsibility of teacher.  She told him all the stories that she had learned from the Moor Folk.  She told him about the Dark Fey and their once unknown culture.  And even though his flying wings would not come in for years, she told him all she knew of flying as she had just mastered landing.  He would need not question anything as she would already tell him all he needed to know.

Unfair

A year passed and Selene found an upsetting thing about having wings. Her beautiful flight feathers that she had been proud of were falling out and leaving gaps in her wingspan.

“It's a normal thing for wings with feathers, love,” Diaval reminded her as he bounced Kieran on his knee.

“This is so unfair!  Rose doesn't molt!” she pulled at the tip of her wing to see the newest gap had formed.  She tried to use her magic to grow her feathers faster, but it didn't help.

“Rose doesn't have wings,” Maleficent reminded her.

“So unfair!”

Visit

The next time that Aurora and Rose visited the Moors she had news to share with her family.  Selene met her and Rose at the boarder as usual.  This time as she approached her older sister, she noticed something different.  She was slightly bigger than before, just as her mother was when...

“You're going to have a baby!” Selene screamed out as she pointed at her sister's stomach.

“It's that obvious?” Aurora giggled and rubbed at her stomach.

“Don't be so loud, Selene,” Rose hushed her aunt and put her arm around hers, “Let's go tell grandmother.”

Wild

As daughter of the Guardian of the Moors, she was proud of her heritage.  One of the latest in line of the Phoenix, the living myth's blood flowed through her veins.  She soared over the many lakes and fields of the Moors easily on her wings as she called out hellos to many of the inhabitants.  She learned to dive and flip and bank in the air just as her parents.  She felt free and alive as she rode the winds.  The Moor Folk would laugh as they watched her.  She was just as wild as her mother once was.  

Fix

“Papa, can I be fixed?”

Diaval immediately stopped and turned to his daughter, “What about you would need to be fixed?”

“The human children never have to preen or worry of where they may hit their horns,” she muttered and looked out from their cliff home toward the Ulstead hamlet.

Diaval hugged her to his side, “Your wings may need to be preened, but they surpass any shiny thing the kids may wear.  Your horns are tall, but tell the story of how you've grown.  You don't need to be fixed.  You are perfect the way you are.”

Years

The years pass by too quickly for Maleficent.  She remembered when Aurora was nothing but a little beastie running through the fields of the forest glens outside the Moors.  Now she had two children of her own who were growing older and taller each time she saw them.  Then Selene, the babe she had birthed herself, was growing too fast and would be coming to her ninth birthday in the coming months.  Her brother turning three not too long after.  Soon they would also start their own families.  Oh, how she would stop the years from coming if she could.

Zeal

Maleficent watched her children play with the other Dark Fey at the Heart of the Moors.  They were never in need of assurance of peace, or known anything close to war with humans.  Their zeal for life only seemed to boost her own.  She still guarded the Moors with other Dark Fey, she still kept the peace with the humans with help of her oldest daughter and she still rode the winds in the early morning with Diaval at her side as he always would be.  The zeal was never truly gone, just re-sparked by the laughter of her children.