The final installment is here! If you've stuck with this story all this time, I thank you. It took me quite a while, but I was determined to finish it (almost exactly 11 months, to be specific). Thank you for reading and reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed Maleficent's storyline in my little fic :)

Side note: I chose the name Tabara because it means prosperity!

~EPILOGUE: PEACETIME~

Where the lands merged at the border, a giant stage crafted of grass and tree bark sat in simple splendor.

On one side, the newly named Kingdom of Tabara sprawled in a wave of rolling green lawns, blooming flower gardens, and bright blue skies. The dirt roads were no more; instead, every path leading in and out of the city was paved in solid iron. Thanks to the melting down of all the iron weapons within a hundred miles of the kingdom, there was plenty of metal to put to use. The small towns that dotted the countryside were free of trash and debris, and the brick facades shone cleanly in the early afternoon sunlight. The Tabaran castle, sitting in the center of it all, was dank and dingy no longer; the entire structure exuded an air of peace and hospitality and overall renewal. The Kingdom of Tabara was getting better, day by day.

On the other side, the Moorlands lay only minimally changed. The dark forest was still dark and ominous, fending off those who dared try to chop down its trees or steal its healing potions. Symphony Stream, and all the other bodies of waters, streams and riverbeds and lakes, sparkled on the surface. Beneath the sapphire blue waters swam twisted creatures waiting for an unsuspecting snack. Flowers bloomed, harmless and poisonous ones alike. The tall trees, stretching nearly a hundred feet high in some regions, swayed dangerously, always seeming on the edge of toppling but never quite reaching far enough for the possibility to become real. The air was alive with the sounds of fairies and woodland creatures flitting to and fro; they soared over the meadowlands, darted from side-to-side within the gloom of the forests, and drifted lazily on upwind currents. The Moors was changed, yes, but in much subtler ways than Tabara; some of the darkness that Maleficent brought to the land lingered. But the Moors seemed to embrace it now.

On the border between the lands, there was one monumental difference: the Wall of Thorns had vanished.

Maleficent had been the one to take it down, and rightly so – she had been the one to erect it in the first place, as a way to protect the Moors from impending doom. Now the border ceased to exist, and in a few moments, Maleficent thought, there would never be a chance of resurrecting it.

Her green eyes flashed sideways, and when she spotted Aurora, she smiled. The Queen was standing perfectly still, transfixed into immobility – her anxiety was nearly palpable from this distance. She wore a plain white gown, adorned sparingly with glistening pearls around the neckline and cuffs of her sleeves. Her hair flowed freely down to her waist, nearly white-blonde in the light of the noon sun. Hands clasped before her, Aurora stared straight ahead, her chin held high. She was nervous, but she was ready.

Maleficent, on the right wing of the stage, breathed deeply. This moment was a long time in coming, and although it was obviously nerve-wracking, she felt that it was the right time to do this. She did not sense any ill feelings from the assembled crowd. Interspersed among the commonfolk and nobility were tiny wood-sprites, as well as fairies and crimson-haired nymphs; otherwise, however, the Moors creatures watched from afar. Maleficent knew that the segregation of the humans and her own people had gone on for far too long; it would take time for them to grow comfortable around one another.

Fortunately, time was a commodity they could finally afford.

By her side, Diaval straightened and squeezed her hand. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, taking in his ruffled black shirt and dress pants. His scars were no longer livid, for they were no longer there. But she found herself gazing at where they'd been with some sadness, strangely enough. She'd always found them attractive – dare she say sexy? – and now that they were gone, she realized she'd miss that distinguishing feature.

But now, she had to admit, he was more handsome than ever.

Diaval was an inch or two taller than her, and Maleficent looked away before a blush could overcome her features. Whenever he looked down on her with that smoldering gaze of his, she could barely concentrate on anything or anyone else until something was done to relieve the tension in her chest.

For now, Maleficent yanked her mind away from her beloved and refocused on the scene unfolding before her. The ceremony was about to begin, and she didn't want to miss a moment of it.

Her back arched just the slightest bit as her wings readjusted themselves. They were folded neatly against her skin, but it would take less than a second for them to spring into the air. She was waiting for the right moment to reveal them, knowing it would be very soon.

Just as soon as Aurora was officially crowned.

The crowd quieted, the senior clergyman in charge of the ceremony cleared his throat, and Aurora straightened, readying herself.

"On this day," the cleric began in a booming baritone, "we celebrate the joining of two foreign lands. To the left lies the Kingdom of Tabara, the land of prosperity. To the right lies the Moors, the land of magic and fae. Many a year have these two realms been rife with war and instability, but those struggles are behind us now. The human-folk and Moorland creatures will come together for the first time in all of history. With the royal ascension of Aurora of Tabara, these lands will become one."

Maleficent sucked in a deep breath. She felt Diaval's hand tense in her own.

"Aurora of Tabara," the cleric said, and Aurora stepped forward. He held a shimmering gold crown above her head; sapphires and rubies and rainbow jewels found only in the Moors were set into the points that spiraled from the base. "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of the Kingdom of Tabara and the Realm of the Moors, according to their respective laws and customs?"

"I solemnly promise to do so," Aurora said steadily, her gaze sliding over the assembled crowd.

"Will you to your power cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?"

"I will." Aurora's voice rang proudly across the rolling green landscape.

"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the laws of these realms and the true profession of your people? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the justice established by law?"

"All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep."

"Then I, Greglin of the Clergy, will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you, our Sovereign Lady, Queen of the United Realms, and unto your heirs and successors according to law. I pronounce you Queen Aurora!"

And with that, he lowered the crown onto her head, and two realms became united.

The crowd burst into loud cheers that echoed endlessly over the lands. There was crying and hugging and hesitant introductions between the humans and the woodland creatures. Maleficent caught Aurora's gaze and nodded imperceptibly. Her little beastie was queen now, and she knew Aurora wouldn't need anyone's approval after this moment.

As she stared out at the mingling crowd, Maleficent's wings unfurled. They snapped from her back in several quick movements, and the crowd, momentarily distracted, gasped as one. The black wing-tips gleamed like wet ink in the sun, and the breeze ruffled her feathers, moving up and down their length in an undulating wave.

Diaval's hand came up and touched her cheek. She turned to him and smiled, finally at peace. His lips brushed her forehead, and he murmured, "And so our journey ends, at long last."

But Maleficent smirked and cocked her head back. "My dear, don't be foolish. Our journey is only just beginning." Her eyes strayed to Aurora, who had stepped forward to greet her people, high and lowborn, human and magical.

"At long last," she whispered as Diaval's arm wound around her. Unity. Peace. Happiness. All within her reach.

Maleficent laughed.

And all was well.

:)