A/N: Hey guys and gals! So sorry for the long wait. But, here is the final chapter. Yes, the final chapter. Just so everyone is aware, I changed Stephen to Stefan; it's been bugging me. Okay, I'll talk more at the end. Enjoy the chapter.
Audrey carefully observed what Maleficent was doing as the fairy created the tonic. It was all so intriguing to the princess. Never before had she been exposed to so much magic, especially at once; she was just trying to take it all in. It was all so fascinating to her. Now she knew why her mother would always tell her stories about the Moors with that dreamy, faraway look of hers.
The fairy had set up shop in one of the chemistry labs at Auradon Prep. It was the only place that would accommodate their needs on such short notice. Audrey had volunteered to go with her while she created the tonic. It was more out of her own curiosity than anything else. She liked to think that it was also because she didn't want Maleficent to be alone while she worked.
"You have your mother's curious spirit," Maleficent stated suddenly, not looking up from where she was grinding the petals of the flower into a powder. "She was always so curious when I would take her into the Moors."
"I've been told by my peers that I'm too nosy. Apparently, I'm always in everyone's business." Audrey gave a small shrug and a slight roll of her eyes. "I can't help it if people feel the need to say things in my presence."
Maleficent let herself smirk at the princess's tone. In a way, it reminded her of Mal.
"I got the beaker you wanted," Evie announced as she entered the room. True to her word there was a glass beaker in her hand. "It took some digging, but I finally found it in the supply closet.
"Isn't that closet always locked?" Audrey asked absently, not removing her eyes from what Maleficent was doing.
Evie gave a nonchalant shrug. "Jane and Fairy Godmother should be back any second with the other ingredients that you need."
"Perfect," Maleficent said as she continued to grind until all that was left was a fine yellow powder.
The fairy took the beaker from the blue-haired teen and carefully poured the freshly ground powder into it.
"So, how does this work anyway?" Audrey asked, continuing to watch the fairy.
Evie kept a close watch too, for future reference of course.
"It should help to purify her system. Get rid of any toxins that her body has absorbed. It should also serve as a protection from any further damage," Maleficent explained as she added a few drops of water from the Enchanted Lake.
"We're back!" Fairy Godmother announced as she and Jane entered the room.
"You got everything?" the other fairy asked as she placed the beaker on a heating plate.
"Yes!" The other fairy answered cheerfully. "It wasn't easy, but we got everything."
"Good. Hand them over."
The mother-daughter pair obeyed, handing over all that they had collected to the fairy before stepping back and letting her get to work.
The four women watched as Maleficent carefully mixed in the rest of the ingredients while slowly increasing the heat. It took a few minutes before the mixture turned into a greenish-brown color and thick consistency.
"Are we sure this will work?" Fairy Godmother asked skeptically as she eyed the contents of the beaker.
"Yes," was all Maleficent responded with. She waved her hand over the beaker, infusing it with her magic and giving it a slight green glow. "There. It's done." She turned off the heat and removed the beaker from the plate.
"And all she has to do is drink that?" Jane asked as she stared through the glass with her nose scrunched. She had to admit, it didn't look too appetizing.
"All she has to do is drink it."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Audrey said as she stood straight. "Let's go get her to drink it."
Fairy Godmother transported them all them to the hospital where the others were waiting.
"Is it done?" Aurora questioned as soon as she saw them.
Maleficent nodded. "It's done." She headed over to her daughter's side. The younger fairy appeared to be asleep. "Mal, baby, I need you to wake up for me."
Mal let out a soft groan but opened her eyes anyway.
"You need to drink this, okay? It'll make you all better. I promise." Maleficent helped Mal sit up slightly before pouring the tonic into her mouth.
The whole room seemed to hold their breath as she swallowed.
The purple-haired teen made a bitter face as she did so. "Why does it taste so bad?"
Everyone chuckled at the reaction.
Maleficent rolled her eyes playfully. "Since when does medicine taste good?"
"I don't know. But you could have at least added some sugar. Maybe some artificial strawberry flavoring. Something. It really tastes awful."
"Well, I'll be sure to remember that for next time," Maleficent quipped back. "How do you feel?"
Mal seemed to be deep in thought as she stared at the ceiling. After a moment, she shrugged. "Fine, I guess. I don't know. I don't feel any different."
Maleficent checked her over. "That's to be expected. It'll take a few days to completely take effect, but you should be okay."
The younger fairy smiled. "Thanks, Mother."
The corners of Maleficent's lips quirked upward in a small smile. Although, if anyone were to ask, she would deny it. "You are very welcome."
Days passed by and Mal continued to improve. It wasn't long before she allowed to leave the hospital and go back home. Of course, Ben never let her out of sight for more than five minutes at a time. Mal appreciated the gesture and loved him for caring so much, but she also wanted to strangle him for smothering her.
Maleficent was returned to her cell; she went without a fight. Although, she was allowed to remain in her human form and given a few more luxuries. Mal and Audrey often visited her together; nearly every day. They would discuss their days, their feelings (which was new for all of them), and whatever crossed their mind. Every now and then Aurora, Belle, Evie, or anyone who wanted to would join them to see how the older fairy was doing.
Once Chad had returned from his trip (which had been cut short), he made sure both Mal and Audrey were truly okay before having a few choice words with Stefan. And if the former King of the Sleeping Kingdom happened to have a broken nose at the end of their little… chat, well, no one said anything. Once Mal was fully recovered, she and the blond prince were back to their random little competitions and good-natured arguments, much to the amusement of everyone around them.
Hubert was eventually caught and arrested for his crimes… again. He and Stefan were put on trial for their actions against Mal. They were declared guilty and sentenced to life on the Isle. Nobody was sad to see them go. The girls were relieved that it wasn't them. Audrey was glad she never had to find out whether or not her grandfather would have saved her from being sent to the Isle in his place.
Evie had used her mirror to finally find out who Hubert's former employers had been. Once in custody, they all admitted to their crimes, and if that had been aided by some questionable treats baked by a certain purple-haired fairy and friends, well, no one questioned it. They were all tried and punished for their various crimes and for being accessories to whatever crime they had paid Hubert to commit.
When the whole thing was said and done and behind them, Ben proposed to the love of his life, intent on keeping her as close as possible until death do they part. Evie had been beyond excited to design the gown, and Audrey to plan the wedding. Belle had been right and Maleficent had been around to attend. In fact, she had walked her daughter down the aisle. The older fairy was finally free from imprisonment, her wings found and restored. It was the greatest wedding since Adam and Belle's own. It wasn't long before their friends followed suit and children were born to each couple. Naturally, a few of Evie's predictions for what their kids would look like became a reality. If asked about it, she would insist that she just had a natural gift for predicting the future while Doug would insist that it was basic genetics.
And, it may sound cliché, but they all lived happily ever after.
A/N: Hey guys and gals! I'm so sorry that I took so long to update! I had a lot of work and absolutely no motivation. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As I mentioned, this was the last chapter of the story (finally; I'm so happy it's done). Sorry it was so short, I didn't really know how to end it. I don't see there being a sequel or anything. I will be going back through and fixing all of the mistakes and just generally making it better. I've already done the first chapter. I should get a couple more done today (maybe), I don't know when I'll finish.
Thank you to everyone who stuck with this story, I know it's been a while. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited. Thanks for just reading. You guys don't have to do any of that, but it means a lot to me and I really appreciate it.
If you guys wanna PM me with any ideas, questions, or concerns please feel free to. I should respond fairly quickly. Sorry if I don't respond to your reviews, but know that I do read them all and they always make me smile even if it's super simple and only like two words.
Hopefully, I'll be updating some of my other stories soon, but we'll see what happens.
I hope you all stay safe and healthy! Love you all! See you in the next story.