Mal could not believe her luck. She was being asked to go alone with the prince! Perhaps, she could use this to get him under her thumb. It was a tempting premise, so of course she accepted. The lovesick fool.

That night, she dreamed.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she ran through the forest. Fireballs soared through the sky and ash clouds blocked out the sun. Lava raced after her heels. She lifted her knees higher, swung her arms more quickly as she tried to outrun the fire. She had to get out, she had to survive even if the forest did not- she was the only hope.

She stumbled over a rock, and the lava surrounded her. In an act of desperation, she shimmied up the bare brittle tree that was covered in the frost of a harsh winter. She jumped from tree to tree, only to hit the end of the tree line. She finally looked back at what she was running from.

Her eyes widened as the shape of a bird cawed. She looked to beyond the tree line. A green forest nymph of some sort stared at her.

"This is not who you are."

Before Mal could say anything, the firebird cawed again. She looked back as the fire consumed her and everything turned to black.

Mal's eyes flew open, and all she could do was take a few deep breaths. She felt as if her skin were burning. She sat up, unsure of where she was before recognizing the Dauphin Castle.

This is not who you are.

The words echoed in her mind. Who else could she be? And why was her dream telling her that after she had met the prince in her dreams?

It's telling you to be more. That you can be Maleficent, the master of evil that the original could never truly be. You were meant to be the new Maleficent. That is who you are. Not this pathetic fairy with doubts and feelings.

Mal nodded. That made more sense to her. It was her masters, reminding her what she had to become.

The next morning, before the sun even rose, she crept out of bed and knocked on Princess Evangeline's door. Even half-asleep, the princess was still lovely. Her temper, however, was not.

"Do you know what time it is?" she asked irritably.

"Do you?" Mal retorted.

"Five o'clock," Evangeline said. She then sighed. "Come in."

Mal snapped her fingers, and the torches lit themselves as she entered. She shut the door behind her.

"I need your help. Ben has asked me to go to the Enchanted Forest with him, and I need to look stunning," Mal said.

"You've got your eyes on a prince?" Evangeline said. "I thought he would be a bit low on the rankings for you."

"What do you mean?"

"The lowest fairy outranks the highest king or emperor," Evangeline said. "But never mind that. I'll help you. Just let me wear something suitable, and I'll find a suitable dress for you."

"Thank you, Evangeline," Mal said. She had to admit, she liked this princess. She was a classic, but she had a few darker tricks up her sleeves. She would excel in the new world coming.

"No problem," the princess answered as she put on a bluish green frock. "There, that's better. Now, for you."

Evangeline looked Mal up and down for a second, and even circled her. "I think more purple would wash you out, especially with that hair, but a nice green would bring out your eyes. I think I may have the perfect dress."

Mal raised her eyebrows as Evangeline flung open her wardrobe and almost immediately pulled out the exact dress she had pictured and set it on the bed. The skirt and sleeves were leaf-green, the bodice white, and it had flowers embroidered on the edge of skirt and along the collar. The sleeves were puffed, and Mal had to admit that it seemed almost familiar. Like something she would have worn before. . .

She shook her head, unsure of these thoughts that had no business in her cold heart. She looked back to Evangeline.

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you," she said. "I'll do your hair as well. I picked some matching flowers the other day. It was like I somehow knew this would happen before it did."

"I guess so," Mal murmured. She took the dress and changed into it. It fit comfortably and she looked beautiful in it. She sat down at the vanity as Evangeline ran a brush through it.

"It'll look beautiful, I promise," she said. She braided it out of the way, with the flowers locked in. It made Mal feel like an average fairy- not something she or the voices in her head wanted, but it felt familiar and safe.

"We're done," Evangeline said.

"Thank you," Mal said, and she realized that if she went through with her plans, this kind girl would suffer for it. She didn't really know anyone good, anyone who would've been affected by her master's plans. Now she did, and a part of it hurt. She did not want Snow White's daughter to pay for being kind to her.

"Are you alright?" Evangeline asked.

"Just nervous," Mal lied.

"You'll have fun," Evangeline assured me. "Prince Ben is a good man. You have to tell me what happens from here."

"I will," Mal promised. "You've been a very good friend to me. The Fair Folk do not forget such acts of kindness."

Evangeline smiled. "You're sweet. You don't have to do a thing- Mama taught me that strangers are just the friends you haven't met yet, and that you ought to give any and all friends in need a helping hand."

"That sounds like Snow White," Mal said. She stood up. "I will see you when we get back."

Evangeline waved as Mal left the room.

Adam paced the study once more, and Belle stood at the window, her face in her hands.

"Our son went off alone with the strange fairy," Adam moaned. "I know we taught him better than that."

"He's in love with her," Belle said. "I can tell. A mother can always tell."

"That makes this even worse," Adam said. "Love is blind, as the books always say."

"I know," Belle said. She steeled herself and took deep breaths. "Maybe we should think positively about this."

"Like what?" Adam sounded genuinely curious.

"We always worried that Ben wouldn't be happy if he only married for politics like he planned," Belle said. "If he's managed to find love in that time- then he could be happy, Adam."

"That would be nice," Adam admitted. "And I suppose Agathe will be watching him. She promised to."

"She'd better," Belle muttered.. "What else are fairy godmothers useful for?"

Adam laughed, and hugged his wife.

Mal glanced out at the window. She felt a peace with the world when she saw the forest. She didn't understand entirely why. Maybe it was the fairy in her. Maybe it wasn't. But she could almost remember flowers blooming from her hands instead of withering at her very touch.

"Are you alright?" Ben asked, drawing her out of her reverie.

"Yes," Mal said. "I love the outdoors."

He nodded. Mal was surprised at herself. For once, she did not lie. Apparently goody-goodies are contagious.

Guinevere and Jane sat in Mrs. Potts' lounge outside the kitchen. Jane brought her spellbook with her and was looking over them.

"I can't find the one that Mal used," Jane admitted.

"You don't think. . ." Guinevere said, her heart pounding against her chest.

"That it could be a bad spell?" Jane asked. "I've worried about that too."

"What do you think?" Guinevere said.

"I think that we should wait until the gala is over to confront her," Jane said. "Bad fairies are very bad, you know. That's why Mother went to Bald Mountain."

"Because of the monsters?" Guinevere asked. "Excuse me, but your mother never knew fencing, did she?"

"No," Jane admitted. "She thought she could befriend the monsters, or at least find some peaceful situation. She said she also had one more trick up her sleeve if something went terribly wrong. She said the mice would help."

"But mice can't talk," Guinevere pointed out.

"I don't think Mother knows that," Jane admitted.

"Here are your teas, dearies," Mrs. Potts interrupted, carrying large steaming mugs for the two princesses. "Jane, are you working on your spells again? Because your hair looks lovely like that."

"Mal did this for me," Jane said, blushing and twirling a curl around her finger.

Mrs. Potts frowned. "I'm sure she's a good girl, deep down, but I don't think she's telling the entire truth."

"About what?" Guinevere asked.

"Did you know she tried to introduce herself to Ben and I as Maleficient?" Mrs. Potts said. "I didn't want to tell the poor dearie that I've met Maleificent. They looked similar, but she's too young to be that fairy, I'm afraid."

"She what?" Guinevere's jaw dropped. "Jane, we need to find Mal, now. Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Potts!"

"Make sure to take the mugs with you!" Mrs. Potts reminded them.

Ben and Mal left the carriage behind quite a ways. They were out by the Wishing Lake. Mal had never been. She liked the crystal-blue waters running over the heart-shaped river stones, and the viney flowers trailing up and down the stone pillars surrounding the worn rock circle they stood on in the middle of the lake. Ben had the foresight to bring a picnic basket with them.

Mal sat down and removed her shoes, dipping her toes in the water.

"We need to talk," Ben said, taking a deep breath.

Mal turned, looking into his brownish-green eyes. He looked like the classic Prince Charming, Mal supposed. He had golden brown hair, a sunny smile, and green eyes that seemed to stare right through you.

"What about?" Mal asked.

"At my christening, the Enchantress was invited as my fairy godmother," Ben began. "She gave me a gift, like the three fairies gave Aurora gifts."

Mal nodded. She was familiar with such boons.

"It was the gift of Clarity, she called it," Ben said. "I can look into the heart of anyone I choose to, and I can see what is truly there."

"And what's in my heart?" Mal asked, trying to hide her fear. She was about to be found out.

"I see a lot of darkness," he admitted. "But there's a light deep down, cutting through the rest. I want to know who you really are, no lies."

Guinevere and Jane entered Mal's room, the same room that Belle had occupied in her famous stay in the castle.

"She's gone," Jane said.

Guinevere realized with a start that she had not seen her older brother at all that morning. "She's got Ben, Jane! We have to tell our parents what Mrs. Potts told us! Ben could be in danger!"