Disclaimer: Maleficent and all its brilliant characters are not-and never will be-mine, save for the misspellings and grammatical errors herein.
Maleficent stands at the entrance to the Moors, watching as two horses draw closer. The riders soon become visible: she recognizes Diaval by his dark raiment and Aurora by her hooded cloak. Earlier that morning, the pair had gone to the human Kingdom for Aurora had to see how things fared since the death of her father, King Stefan. And now, they return home, just as the day draws to a close.
Home, Maleficent repeats to herself. It is indeed a home now, she thinks just as the horses come trotting to halt before her.
"Godmother," calls Aurora with a thrill to her voice that makes Maleficent smile.
"Beastie—"
"I've so much to tell you," says the blonde, pulling down her hood to reveal a face glowing with elation. She gets off her horse rather clumsily, alarming both Maleficent (who takes a few steps toward the girl) and Diaval (who cries, "Hey, careful!" as he jumps off his own steed to assist the all-too-excited Aurora). But Aurora lands nimbly on her feet (at this, Maleficent relaxes and Diaval breathes a sigh of relief) and runs straight into the horned Faerie, saying, "I had a lovely time in the Castle."
"Oh?" says Maleficent, allowing the girl into the circle of her arms.
Diaval grunts and shakes his head as he takes both horses by their reins and leads them into the forest.
"He had a bad day," explains Aurora as they watch him leave.
"He'll be all right," Maleficent assures. She notices that the blonde had not come back empty-handed. "You've brought something home, I see."
"Oh yes all sorts of things!" Aurora says eagerly. She takes off a rucksack that hangs from her shoulder, and is about to show its contents, when Maleficent places a patient hand on the blonde's arm.
"Why don't we look through them when we're inside?" the horned Faerie suggests gently. (By "inside", she means the innermost part in the Moors where she had made an open shelter for Aurora weeks before.)
"Right." Aurora nods vigorously and clings to her arm as they begin to walk side-by-side. Maleficent would have found this sort of physical intimacy awkward and overwhelming weeks before. But now, she allows it, welcomes it, even. What remaining walls she had put up, Aurora had gradually torn down.
As they walk farther into the forest towards their destination, Aurora begins to narrate the past day's occurrences: she and Diaval had wandered around the marketplace and entered a tavern (where Aurora gets her first taste of mead when a stranger offers her a free drink; Diaval almost gets into a fight when he misinterprets this as lewd advances towards Aurora). Afterwards, they had gone to see Phillip (although again, Diaval almost gets into trouble after exchanging a few angry words with one of the guards) and had been given a tour in certain parts of the Castle. Afterwards, they had lunch in the King's Dining Hall (Diaval had refused to eat chicken or meat of any sort and had settled for bread and fruits instead). They had talked a little more, until finally they had decided it was time to go. Phillip had given Aurora and Diaval a few things before they part and had said their goodbyes.
There is no need for a fire. The innermost region of the Moors is well-lit by its unusual magical residents and the silvery light from the full moon makes the entire area even more so. Aurora sits upon a rock right outside her tree-house, and Maleficent settles down next to her.
Aurora takes the rucksack, places it on her lap, and opens it wide for her to see what she is taking out. Meanwhile, Maleficent eyes the items warily but says nothing. She watches the blonde take out a quire and leaf through them.
"Poetry," says Aurora, looking up to beam at Maleficent. "I've two more inside." The Faerie merely smiles. "He also gave me something to draw in, look." She takes out a small compilation of parchment sewn together at one side. There is a stylus with its end tied to the spine. Aurora laughs, eminently pleased with her presents. Maleficent is genuinely glad for her, but at that moment, she feels her chest constrict inwardly and she knows all too well what it is: envy. To think a human could manage to make her Beastie this happy…
"Godmother?"
Maleficent snaps to attention and focuses her gaze on the blonde, who is watching her worriedly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," assures Maleficent, but there is a chill to her voice that Aurora easily detects.
"You don't like them, do you?"
"No, of course I do—"
"I can dispose of them, if it'll make you happy."
"Beastie."
"Is it because they're from Prince Phillip?"
"It's not what you think."
"You never liked him." And she is right. There is something annoying about him that Maleficent could never quite put her finger on. Aurora awaits Maleficent's answer. The horned Faerie breathes a sigh.
"No, I never did." Even more so when he had kissed her. And it was she who let it happen. "But you mustn't throw them away, simply because I dislike the person who gave them. They're yours to keep, not mine." To think that the little Beastie could easily read her like an open book.
"Well, alright. Thank you, Godmother." She smiles wryly and stows away her little presents, and takes out something else.
"What is that?"
"A wineskin." Aurora uncaps it, and takes a swig from it, alarming Maleficent, who squirms in discomfort as she watches the blonde. The last time she had taken a human's drink, she had fallen into a deep sleep and lost her wings to a traitor. Ever since then, she had vowed never again to eat or drink whatever the humans made or processed.
"What are you drinking?"
"White wine." Aurora furrows her brow, wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, and offers the wineskin to the horned Faerie. "Try it."
"No, thank you," Maleficent politely declines.
"Does this upset you, too?" Aurora asks, studying Maleficent's expression as she withdraws her hand.
"I am not fond of what the humans make."
"Oh, um. Okay." Aurora takes another swig, and a look of distaste comes across her face.
"Why do you drink it if you don't seem to like it?"
"But I do like it," says Aurora despite the expression on her face. "I just can't help it with the bitterness. It's fascinating. It's a mixture of something sweet and something bitter, and when it reaches my tummy, it feels warm." She takes another swig, and leans on the horned Faerie's shoulder, saying, "Phillip says I should drink this when I feel sad. He says it has a magic in it that will make me happy again. Do you think he's telling the truth, Godmother?"
"Humans know a thing or two about magic," is all the Faerie could say. Aurora takes another swig.
"Godmother, are you feeling blue?" the blonde suddenly asks.
"Sometimes."
"Why?" Another swig.
"There are things that bother me."
"Such as?" And another.
Maleficent chuckles. "I'd…rather not say." Her gaze shifts to the lake and she stares thoughtfully at the small balls of light hovering above it.
"Why not?"
Maleficent notes how persistent Aurora is starting to become. She makes no reply whatsoever and watches as the blonde takes yet another swig from her wineskin. "I think you should stop drinking that."
"You should be happy, Godmother," Aurora says suddenly, ignoring what Maleficent had told her. The horned Faerie is slightly confused at this. "You should…" The blonde stands up unexpectedly, surprising the horned Faerie. Aurora faces her. "You should dance and sing and eat delightful things!" There is something awfully wrong with her, despite the vibrancy in her tone. No, there is too much vibrancy, far too much…
"You've wings—yes, your wings." And the blonde approaches the still-astonished Maleficent and strokes her wings. "They're very lovely. What does it feel like, Godmother? To soar the skies, to feel the wind in your face?"
"I took you to the skies with me just yesterday, Beastie," the Faerie reminds mildly.
"It must be nice. Very nice," mumbles Aurora, not seeming to have heard what Maleficent had told her. She gazes back at Maleficent. "So you mustn't feel blue. But if you can't help it, you must do something about it." Even in the dim light, Maleficent can see that Aurora's face is flushed. The blonde grins at her.
"Let us do something now!" The blonde turns away from the Faerie and begins to walk groggily towards the lake. "It's hot, Godmother, don't you think? I think we should swim. Let's swim, it will be very refreshing."
Maleficent stands up, concerned. "Beastie."
Aurora had just taken a swig from her wineskin. "Yes, Godmother?" She is practically swaying on her feet, unable to keep still.
"Come here."
"You have to catch me first!" The blonde giggles madly as she attempts to run. She fails, and stumbles, alarming Maleficent, who rushes to assist the blonde. The blonde sees the Faerie advancing toward her and gets up with surprising quickness, all the while laughing. "You can't catch me!" she cries back at Maleficent, who stops and watches her with astonishment. Aurora takes another swig and staggers into the forest.
Just then, Diaval arrives, munching on piece of bread. "What's happening?"
Maleficent casts him an ominous look that makes the shape-shifter step back.
"What?" he asks.
"White wine."
"A wonderful drink," Diaval says jovially. "The prince gave both of us a wineskin each and…" His voice dies away when Maleficent gives him a withering look.
"Both you and Aurora?"
"Yes, but the prince reminded me to supervise Aurora if she were to drink…" The realization clicks in his head. "Oh."
"Imbecile," Maleficent mutters, walking toward the forest that Aurora had disappeared into.
"I'll just…I'll just stay here and watch over her things, I suppose," Diaval calls after the horned Faerie, who makes no response whatsoever to him whatsoever.
"Beastie," Maleficent calls.
"I'm not hiding in a tree hollow," a voice says in a singsong, resonating throughout the forest. This is followed by a fit of giggles.
Maleficent strides to a particular oak tree. "I know you're there."
"That's my line!" There is a sound of rustling and struggling and moments later, Aurora crawls out of a hole at the base of the tree, and gets unsteadily to her feet.
"Not when you're the one who's hiding," Maleficent answers, mildly amused. "Come," she extends her hand.
"I want to dance," says the blonde, ignoring Maleficent's proffered hand and proceeding to do so. Or attempting to, at least. Her moves are clumsy and uncoordinated, and she almost bumps into a tree twice or thrice. There is a clearing nearby which Aurora moves into as she continues to move about in an ungainly manner. In the moonlight, it seems less so, with her pale skin glowing silvery-white.
Maleficent chuckles, in spite of herself. She advances toward Aurora, not to stop her, but to make sure she is within a proximity close enough to assist her if she were to lose her footing.
Then Aurora begins to hum a song and moments later, sings,
"I know you,
I walked with you
Once upon a dream," she dances and makes gawky movements that make awe Maleficent,
"I know you," she points at the Faerie, smiling goofily,
"That gleam in your eyes
Is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true
That visions are seldom," she twirls,
"all they seem
But if I know you,
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did—Oh!" The dizziness gets the better of her and she loses her balance. But Maleficent manages to catch the blonde in her arms just in time.
"…Once upon a dream," the Faerie finishes, an adoring smile dancing on her lips.
Aurora merely stares at her dreamily, her lips slightly parted. "Can I kiss you?
"What?" The question catches the Faerie off-guard.
"I need to kiss you," the blonde insists. "Please." She grasps the Faerie with surprising strength, and pulls her closer.
"Beastie—" Maleficent can smell the sweetness in her breath, now that Aurora's face is dangerously close to hers. She draws herself away, though her heart is pounding her chest. "Why?"
"Because I want to," the blonde says simply, simpering. "You always give me what I want, and I want to kiss you right now."
"You…You can't."
"Why not?" the blonde prods, clinging tighter to the Faerie as she pulls away.
"You just can't." She feels the blood rushing to her face, and is thankful that the nighttime hides it away.
"Fine," Aurora suddenly releases her hold on Maleficent and steps back, lowering her head.
There is a sting to her unexpected withdrawal, and Maleficent immediately approaches the blonde, ready to apologize. "I'm—"
And then, without her expecting it, Aurora grabs Maleficent by the neck, pulls the Faerie to her with both hands, leans forward, and presses her lips against Maleficent's. She pulls back after a moment, smiling triumphantly. "Ha."
"Beastie." The Faerie is not sure how to react. She is too disoriented and dazed to decide.
Aurora bursts into laughter, staggering back slightly. "Godmother, you should see your face!" she manages to say in-between laughs.
Maleficent manages to regain her composure, but smiles warmly all the same. "You little imp."
Aurora walks into the circle of her arms. "Your little imp," she says, beaming as she looks up at Faerie with adoration.
"My little imp," says Maleficent, planting an affectionate kiss on the blonde's forehead.
Aurora giggles. "Can we do it again?"
"Only if you promise to behave."
"Imps never behave."
"Oh dear me, that's going to be a problem."
"Is it really?" Aurora snuggles into the warmth of Maleficent's embrace.
"Hmm. We'll find out." It is time to go. The Faerie spreads her wings and tightens her hold on the blonde before they take flight.
The breeze is gentle, and the moon is bright. Below them, the Moors is shimmering with hundreds of tiny lights. From a distance, they can see the dark and ominous fortress of the human Kingdom against the night sky studded with a myriad of stars. There could never have been a more beautiful sight.
"Just one more?" the soft, pleading voice of Aurora breaks the silence between them.
Maleficent chuckles. "Fine."
And afterwards, she needn't know what white wine tasted like.
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