Disclaimer: I don't own Maleficent or any of its characters, though I wish I did. And the title of this story is taken from the lyrics of "because you loved me" by Celine Dion, I don't own that either.

PROLOUGE

Bright orange ball of fire slowly sank in the grey, thick sheets of clouds that lay covering the horizon. Distant caws of birds, flying into their nests could be heard. Darkness covered the moors with its wings and stars twinkled in the eastern skies.

Near the borders of the moors, a young fairy played with water fairies, yet she was different from those tiny luminous magical creatures. She looked like a human child of seven, yet had magnificent tawny wings and horns, with rosy lips contrasting her porcelain skin. Her laughter echoed in moors as she splashed water, clearly lost in her game. It was an owl's hoot, which made her to look up in skies. Young fairy gasped knowing she was late, she had promised older fairies to return before darkness fell. Hurriedly, she bid good-bye to her playmates and with a single powerful force of her wings; she was in skies enjoying the breeze whipping past her face.

She turned and twirled in air, enjoying the feeling of flying. As pale moon rose over, illuminating the grasslands and Crystal Lake, young fae turned to her home, her rowan tree. However, when she was about to leave, she saw a pair of onyx eyes watching her though tall grass. Fear, it was something so strange though it weighed her heart down, yet she slowly landed on her feet and summoned her magic to aid her. "Move" she demanded, as tall grass in front of her parted to reveal a human boy of her age, the owner of onyx eyes she saw earlier. He was pale, it contrasted to his sleek black hair and mud covered black shirt, which revealed his scarred chest.

"Who are you?" she questioned, "and what are a human doing in Moors?"

"I'm not a human, I'm a shape-shifter" boy answered. "And who are you?"

His boldness took her by surprise; however, she answered his question. "I'm Maleficent, protector of Moors, and you?" her curiosity took best of her.

"I'm Diaval"

"You don't look like a shape shifter" she threw a curious glance at him; he looked like any human she had seen in distance. Diaval sighed and sat on the grass and patted the space beside him, and fairy sat, cross-legged. "We do not transform until we are in our youth, but my father says when it starts, we will stay in that age until the transformation stops"

"What makes you so sure that you're a shape shifter? because your father is one?" she questioned, tilting her head while speaking.

As a reply, he removed the buttons of his shirt, showing his scars completely. She gasped, and ran her fingertip over them curiously. She understood that it wasn't a mere scar, but a mark, which looked like a raven footprint. She looked into his eyes, questioningly.

"Ones who have this mark when they are born are shape shifters among my people, and all boys and few girls have such marks with them" he stated proudly, "I will be able to fly when I become a raven when I grow up".

She smiled in reply, knowing the joys of flight and wishing he could enjoy them soon. "Can't you be any other animal? Like...ummm... a wolf?" his face twisted up in disgust as he replied " I don't like to be a wolf, but I'd like to be a hawk or a dragon, but my father says another powerful being must help us in such transformations"

"Come, I'll show you the Moors then" she held his hand and pulled him forward and they chased after each other.

They came to the clear river where Moor creatures used to put up mud fights and soon the splashes of mud and the laughter of young Diaval and Maleficent filled the Moorlands, as the trolls, pollywogs and many magical creatures joined in the fun.

Few hours later, mud covered friends fell on grass, still laughing and punching each other playfully. Young fairy used her magic to clean herself and Diaval, but with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she left a large patch of mud in the back of his pants.

"Maleficent" he said after a pause, "do you know the way out here? I can't find my way back home, I wandered for days"

"Where do you live?"

"Forks". Came the reply.

Fairy gasped. "You have wandered too far, Diaval," she said out of concern. "Come. I'll show you the way" Holding his hand, she took him to the borders and pointed to a mountain range covered in mist. "Those are misty mountains; I think you'll know the way from there"

"Yeah, thank you Maleficent, for everything" he flashed a smile towards her as he sent his fingers through his hair in a way which colored Maleficent s' cheeks.

He lingered on as if he didn't want to leave her, and even she had no desire to let him go, but he stepped forward, one-step at a time, still holding her hand and finally let his fingers to disentangle from hers. With a sad final glance at her, he disappeared among tall grass and trees. Young fae rose to the air and waited until the movement in meadow disappears out of her sight. She sighed. And with a glance towards the sky, she gave a surprise yelp. Dawn had graced its presence over the day. Yet he had come and gone away like a dream at night.

What she didn't know is he is destined to be her companion, her friend, her support and many more in the darkened future of hers.

Now guys I'm pretty new to maleficent fandom, and this twist came over to my head when I found in internet that in earlier version, Diaval was to meet Maleficent before Stefan. I liked it, so I decide a sweet twist would do well and this is the result. Please leave me a review, favorite, or follow and I'll try to update soon.