Maleficent weakly walked up to her home.
After a soldiers hidden dagger stabbed her, she had been forced to limp away from battle. The war between King Stephan and King Hubert had ended with them both signing a piece treaty and promising their future children to each other, if the option came, as pacts. Since the Forbidden Mountain was technically part of Stephan's Kingdom, she and some of her goons were accustomed to aid him.
She gripped the chains that held onto the bridge for strength and pressed on. Her minions had rushed to her and helped her inside, to which she was grateful. The dagger had cut deep, but it wasn't fatal. She needed rest. She shooed away her minions from her bedchamber. She groaned as a shot of more pain hit her from the cut.
"Why?...Why must it always be me to suffer others turmoil's?"
Meanwhile, a sweet little girl was running through the woods, away from her most hated enemy. He was yelling behind her as she ran, faster and faster through the enchanted woods.
"You little brat! Get back here!"
She whimpered and spurred on as his shouts grew fainter. After a little while, the shouts stopped. She gasped for breath and began to let her tears fall.
"Why did he have to hurt momma enough for her to die? She didn't deserve that... I didn't do anything to deserve losing her... So why?"
She wiped her eyes, but the tears refused to stop. She continued walking through the woods and started to grow hungry. She whimpered as she hadn't eaten in at least a day. She soon saw a castle up ahead and grew slightly relieved. She quickened her pace to reach the castle before dark. Little did she know who owned the castle at that time...
Maleficent wandered the halls of her home aimlessly. Her wound had healed a little with her help and since the searing pain had stopped. It was sometime near sunset as she walked through the hall, looking miserable, angry, and lonely.
She gripped her staff for support when she heard her guards outside, talking. She wanted them to be on guard only, not talking about other things. With little struggle, she stormed to the front door of her home and opened the door to see the guards looking at a weak and pale little girl no older than six. The girl looked up, but didn't look to be afraid of her.
She held her arms to try and shield herself from the cold before she collapsed on the stone bridge. Maleficent's eyes widened as she looked at her worried guards, waiting for orders. Her posture returned to it's menacing grace as she looked past the guards , not daring to give the girl a glance.
"Take her inside to my chambers. She's near death and I won't have a dead body on my doorstep."
They did as commanded and picked up the small girl carefully. Maleficent followed behind them, shutting the door as she did. She looked the child up and down as her guards carried her up the stairs.
Her arms had faint bruises on them, along with her legs. There were also scrapes and cuts all over her, except her face. Her features were lovely to say the least; black raven hair, pink dainty lips, and skin a light bronze color, but she had bags under her eyes and she looked to be very hungry. She began to wonder what the girl had gone through to end up here .
They finally made it to her chambers and she took the girl from the guards grasp, dismissing them with a wave of her hand. They obeyed and left Maleficent to look carefully at the girl. Maleficent placed her on the bed and sat in a chair to watch over her. She turned in her sleep, mumbling sadly and fearfully at something. The mumbles became louder and more frantic.
"No.. No no no... Stop... No more... I won't do it again... Stop hurting my momma! MOMMA!"
The girl jolted upright with heavy breathes. Maleficent was startled by her yelling for her mother, but stayed quiet. The girl turned to Maleficent and began to cry. She soon flung herself towards the green skinned fairy and cried into her robes.
Maleficent was frozen in shock at the girls contact and slowly embraced her back, comforting her. The girl was crying so loudly that Maleficent bet her guards ears were bleeding. She rubbed the girls back, trying to calm her down. It worked slightly when the child started to hiccup. Maleficent didn't know what she would do after the child stopped crying entirely, but she hoped it wouldn't evolve any more touching.
The child's sobs soon turned to silent whimpers as she retreated from Maleficents robes.
"I'm... I'm s-so sorry, miss. I didn't mean to cry all over you. P-Please don't hurt me..."
A small flame of anger started in her eyes. Now she understood what was going on with the girl. Her words from her dream, the bruises and cuts, and her request had confirmed it. She had been abused! When she looked back down at the girl, her eyes softened in understanding.
"I'm not going to harm you, little one. But may I ask what brought you here?"
The girl looked down and began to cry again. Maleficent heard her faint voice speak through her sobs.
"My... stepfather... He...H-He killed my mother today... She couldn't fight back like usual... H-H-He smashed her in the head against t-the wall... and she... she didn't get up again..."
Maleficent grabbed the girl without thinking and hugged her tightly. She knew all to well what men like that could do to a child. She had been through the very same torture as the little girl. Her sobs were so mournful and heartbroken that Maleficents cold heart slightly cracked at hearing her pain. She stroked the girls hair in a motherly way to calm her.
"Dear sweet child, you have nothing to fear anymore. Your safe. And I promise you that no harm of any sort will come to you here... Where you will stay."
The girl stopped and looked up to Maleficent in astonishment and wonder.
"You mean... I can stay here... with you?"
Maleficent nodded. She could not and would not allow this girl to return to such a harmful environment. She would also have to pay a little visit to that stepfather of hers. The girl smiled and held Maleficent closer.
"Thank you... Thank you so much..."
The girl stayed in Maleficent's arms and grinned into her robes. She felt Maleficent stiffen and groan painfully and pulled away. Maleficent was holding the wound that had started to bleed again slightly. The girl moved Maleficent's hand and put her own over the bleeding wound. Maleficent didn't understand what the girl was doing until she began to chant.
"Heal what has been hurt... change the Fates design... make the clock reverse...bring back what once was mine...what once...was mine..."
Maleficent felt warmth flow through her aching body as the girls chant ended. She looked at this child, this innocent child, in astonishment. She had accomplished a healing spell! The girl looked up at her and smiled.
"Does it feel better now?"
Maleficent, for once, was at a loss for words. All she could do was stutter.
"M-Much better, thank you..."
She gripped the girls arms in wonderment, as if hungry for answers
"What's your name and how... how did you do a healing spell?"
She smiled and lifted her hand from the healed area.
"My name is Persephone, and its... complicated, but my mother said that the spell has helped and been passed down through our family for centuries"
Maleficent grinned a little at the girls name. She herself had always admired the name Persephone, because of its meaning; spring and voice of destruction. She looked at Persephone curiously.
"Do you know who your ancestor is?"
Persephone seemed to think for a moment before smiling.
"My mother said that we were descendants of a princess but I can't seem to remember the name."
Maleficent watched Persephone patiently as the girl struggled to find the name of her ancestor. Her startling green eyes lit up as the name came to her.
"Rapunzel... Princess Rapunzel... That was her name."
Maleficents jaw dropped. This girl was the descendent of the magical, golden haired princess!? She couldn't believe it... Persephone looked off the side, patiently waiting for Maleficent to close her jaw, when she saw her staff leaning against her bed frame. She traced the design of it with a finger tenderly.
"Your staffs design is brilliant,... Ummm I'm sorry I don't know your name?"
Maleficent was brought out from her shock and looked at the girl with amazement. How could this child be so calm? Maleficent was barely able to get her name to be spoken.
"Maleficent..."
She waited for the scream of terror or for Persephone to jump away from her. But she was surprised by her once more when she smiled.
"That's a lovely name. What does it mean?"
Maleficent cringed at the question. She didn't want to worry the girl, but Persephone's pleading eyes persuaded her.
"It means 'doing evil or harm; or harmfully malicious' if you wish to be crueler."
Persephone saw the sad look on Maleficent and hugged her, chuckling slightly.
"That description doesn't quite suit you, Maleficent."
The fairy smiled and chuckled with Persephone a little. She saw the sun set outside and got up, grabbing her staff. This seemed to confuse Persephone.
"Where are you going?"
She smiled and waved her staff towards an empty space of the large room. A bed, dresser, and nightstand appeared and filled the space perfectly.
"Did you think you were going to sleep on the floor?"
The child smiled and gawked at the bed, tracing a hand over the silk sheets.
"Thank you, Maleficent. I can't remember the last time I slept..."
Her smile faded and turned dark at her returning past memories, consuming her thoughts. Maleficent came up and held Persephone's shoulders sympathetically. Turning Persephone around to look at her, she gave her a serious look.
"You will never again have to endure that again, Persephone. I promise."
She smiled again and yawned tiredly. Maleficent smiled and led the girl to bed. She snuggled the blankets with a smile and fell asleep immediately. Maleficent couldn't refuse her maternal instincts and kissed Persephone on the forehead.
"Goodnight, Persephone..."