Chapter 1

"MALEFICENT," he cried out.

The fairy stirred from her sleep, lazily opening her eyes.

"MALEFICENT!" his cries became more urgent.

This time her eyes shot open, her heart was pounding in her chest, something was wrong, deeply wrong, she could feel it. She sprang to her feet, her sleep hazed brain long forgotten as adrenaline coursed through her.

Maleficent gave her wings a stretch to test them, (as if they would ever let her down), and ran off the cliff face, soaring as quickly as she could to the edge of the moors, dread filling her with every beat of her wings as she willed herself to fly quicker. Suddenly she plummeted head first towards the figure who was standing awkwardly at the treeline and at the last moment righted herself as she landed so hard on her feet that they sank a couple of inches into the mud laden grass.

Philip swayed, disoriented as Maleficent sprang out of nowhere and landed beside him. Maleficent reached out and caught him by the elbow before he lost his balance completely and steadied him. He was out of breath, but as she considered him, she realised that there was far more than that wrong. Sweeping her eyes over his body her stomach roiled as she saw blood, pooling across his midsection, his arm hung limply by his side, his mouth bloodied and his face swollen and discolored.

"No," she gasped as she turned towards the Castle that towered over both kingdoms, smoke was billowing out of the highest tower, she turned back to the boy, "Aurora?" she asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

Philip turned even paler at her tone, "taken," he answered quietly, he wanted to explain, to offer excuses as to why he hadn't protected her but before he could make another utterance he was cut off.

"No! NOOOOOOOOO!" Maleficent put every ounce of power she could into the shriek and then thrust that power up into the sky in a emerald jet of pure hate and rage, and even a little fear though she masked it well.

Every creature within the moors knew the sight and sound of Maleficent's rage well and steeled themselves for what might come their way. The fairy folk gathered in the sacred heart of the moors silently pledging their allegiance to Maleficent despite her absence. The tree warriors on the other hand arose from their slumber and marched for the treeline to meet Maleficent and aid her in whatever quest she asked of them.

Philip fell to the ground with the force of power rushing past just inches from him, his wound though not mortal was still grave and required attention, Maleficent looked down upon him with with a mix of revulsion and disgust. This meal worm, this maggot was the reason her Auror was not in the moors with her, he was the reason she was taken in the first place, he was useless to her and couldn't even protect her.

Diaval flew down and was coming in to land on her staff as she flourished her wrist and whispered "into a man."

He stumbled into his human form clumsily but managed to turn the stumble into a somewhat graceful sink to his knees by the side of Prince Philip. He turned to Maleficent, "Aurora?" he questioned as he pressed cloth to the wound in Philip's mid section.

Maleficent glanced down her nose at the hopefully dying Prince, "He let her get taken," she sneered not attempting to hide the revulsion in her voice, nor the accusation.

"This is a deep sword wound," Diaval offered to her as he turned back and attempted to stop the life from seeping from the dying Prince.

Maleficent looked up at the approaching tree guardians, "Send word for Knotgrass, Fittle and Thistlewit, the boy needs to be seen to.

She turned back to Diaval and Philip, "Get the story from him," she spat at Diaval before she turned back to the tree guardians to organise her army.

Diaval did what he could to tend to the wounds as the Prince fought to try and get up, "be still would ye," he ordered.

"I have to go back, I have to find her," the Prince begged as he fought Diaval to get up.

"You shouldn't have lost her!" Diaval snapped already tired of his babysitting task, but he softened some at the stricken look that spread across the Prince's face.

"Maleficent, will get her back," he told the Prince confidently and there was not a hint of doubt in his voice.

The trio of fairies appeared and set to work immediately, Prince Philip was drifting towards unconsciousness when he remembered the most important thing he had to report, "Diaval!" he exclaimed.

Diaval leaned closer to Philip, "it was my father!" the wounded Prince exclaimed.

"King John?" Diaval asked uncertainly.

Philip nodded as a tear slipped from his eye and then he passed out. The fairies went about trying to patch him up so that they could move the wounded Prince to a shelter.

Diaval went to Maleficent's side, patiently waiting for her to finish giving her orders as he tried to wrap his brain around what was happening. The moorfolk were whispering about another war but that was not what was concerning Diaval, he was much more worried about what would happen if Auror was hurt, or worse.

Diaval had seen Maleficent angry before, but he had no desire to revisit that time. He frowned as he realised that all the growth and progress Maleficent had made was unravelling right before his eyes and he worried that he could not stop it.

He cast his mind back to the day of Aurora's crowning.

"I don't understand." He said quietly.

"Really Diaval it is not a complex situation!" Maleficent sighed, "I love her." Maleficent's voice was soft but there was power and strength behind her words. She stared across the moor at Aurora, it was possible that her smile lit up the entire moor, it cast the shadows away and warmed Maleficent's heart a little.

Diaval rolled his eyes, "Well that was obvious, true loves kiss helped me figure that out, I am not an idiot! What I dont understand is if you love her why are you letting the boy take her back to the castle, to...to…oh it doesn't even bear thinking about!"

Maleficent turned away from Aurora to consider Diaval's complaint, "It doesn't matter who shares her castle, as long as she is safe and happy," she explained nonchalantly.

It was at that point that Diaval realised just how far Maleficent had fallen for Aurora, "You love her so you are giving her up?" he asked with sudden realisation.

"Precisely." Maleficent answered as she turned back to watch her sweet Aurora on her happiest day, Maleficent basked in the joy that rolled off Aurora.

"Why not tell her?" Diaval asked, "then you can join her in the castle and keep her safe, and happy."

Maleficent let herself enjoy the idea that Diaval presented to her, but her fear of being so open with someone, of being vulnerable once again was almost paralysing, "It wouldn't work." she stated simply though the words settled within her like stones in her stomach.

"But…" Diaval continued.

"Enough!" Maleficent commanded, but then softened her tone, "Diaval...I cannot, I would not be enough for her. Now we will talk no more of it, go to the Castle and ensure King Stefan's body is taken care off so that Aurora does not see it." Diaval knew that tone, the one that meant the discussion was over, the one that brooked no arguement. He sighed and turned away from her as she flicked her wrist and he had his beautiful self back, he flew off in the direction of the castle,

Diaval ruffled feathers that he did not have in his human form as though he could shake of the memory he had of his Mistress confiding in him about the affairs of her heart and he felt guilt settle in him. He should have pushed Maleficent to to confess her feelings to Aurora, he should have told Aurora the truth so that she could make an informed decision about who her life companion should be.

"Stop it Diaval," Maleficent said shaprly.

Diaval turned to her.

"Should have's and what if's will not bring her back safely, so let it go." Maleficent said more calmly than she felt.

"Yes, Mistress," Diaval responded solemnly.

She softened her tone, "Diaval, I need your help once more my friend."

Diaval puffed his chest out and gave a firm and sure nod of his head, he would have followed her into fire just for referring to him as her friend, "I remain your loyal servant." he answered proudly.

Maleficent, gave him a faint smile, then remembering the task ahead, the danger Aurora was in and the promise she had made before she woke her from a sleep like death with love's true kiss, Maleficent raised her staff and pointed it in the direction of the castle.

The tree guardians and dark creatures began their march, moving as a single unit with a unified purpose. Maleficent turned to Diaval and flicked her wrist, he effortlessly changed to his bird form and took flight scouting ahead so that he could relay information about any traps or troops before the army reached them. Maleficent felt a huge discord with the action, she had never ordered her army out of the boundaries of the moors before, nevermind sending an invading force into Aurora's inherited lands, and she did not do so lightly. She considered it worth the risk.

She had one thought, rescue Aurora, nothing else matters.