Author's Note: Something that I decided to write. I hope it's enjoyable. :)

Crucial

Maleficent glanced down at the iron shackle that hugged her ankle. It burned her flawless skin, making it color terribly. Desperate, she tried to free herself. Lifting her leg and tugging at the shackle around her ankle, she started breathing heavily. That was when she remembered that there were iron shackles around her wrists too. Thinking about that made the iron sting her skin even more.

Knowing that it was useless and that she was in too much pain to use her magic, Maleficent wrapped her magnificent wings around herself and bowed her head, tears gently sliding down her pale cheeks. The faerie remembered the last time she had cried; it was when that fiend had mercilessly removed the wings from her back. Maleficent had felt immense betrayal and raw anguish. That was not what she felt at the moment. All she felt was heinous despair and brutal hopelessness.

As her sullen tears freed themselves from her eyes, they soundlessly met the grass below. At first there were few, but then there were more. More and more escaped and her vision became blurry, the tears wetting her face. The callous men would be back for her, to torture her some more. How in the world had she let them capture her like this?

Iron.

They had iron. Lots of it.

Once the iron was near her form, she had become entirely powerless. The malevolent men had jeered, cursed, and had slandered her. When she had tried to escape their evil clutches, they had grabbed her with their iron covered hands. A scream had ripped through her throat and tore out of her mouth, causing birds to flee from their trees. It was then that the men had clamped down iron shackles upon her limbs, keeping her powerless and immobile.

Feeling drained and useless, Maleficent dropped to her knees and tried to push the pain away, but the pain would not cease. The pain was always there, crushing her and tormenting her. Her features morphed into a look of pure sorrow and it displayed unconcealed agony.

It was over for her.

She would never see her little beastie again. She would never see Prince Phillip dance with her little beastie again. She would never fly through the Moors or dance within the clouds in the ocean above. Maleficent would never…she would never see Diaval again.

"Mistress? Mistress!"

Discombobulated, the faerie sat upward, wincing from the agony of the iron touching her skin. Her eyes darted all over the place in a frantic manner, immediately recognizing the voice. After a minute of peering through the darkness, Maleficent's eyes found none other than Diaval in his human form.

The raven hurried over to her, dropping to his knees in haste. His hands found her bare shoulders and his expression held undisguised horror and concern. Maleficent shut her eyes and tried to wipe away her tears, not wanting Diaval to see her in her weak state. Diaval, however, pushed her hands away and removed the tears himself.

"Mistress, I have to get you out of here!" he said to her, hands going to the shackles on her ankles first. "There…there seems to be…these shackles need a key!"

Maleficent opened her eyes and swallowed hard, her body trembling at the growing pain in her body from the iron and of the terrible news that Diaval had given to her. The dark haired man/raven brought his attention back to her face, grim and downcast.

"Mistress, can you not use some of your magic?" Diaval questioned the faerie.

"Diaval…" Maleficent breathed, a frown coloring her features. "If I could, do you not think I would have escaped by now?"

"Can you try again?" Diaval pressed, his concern for her growing.

Maleficent closed her eyes and tried with all her might to use her powers, but her powers just weren't working for her at the moment, unfortunately. When she reopened her eyes, she turned to look at him, shaking her head gravely. "I cannot…" she whispered to him. "Diaval, there are several men coming back for me. You cannot face them in the form you are in now. You must…you must leave me here."

"Have you gone crazy?" Diaval snapped at her. "I am not leaving you here!"

"They'll kill you, Diaval…leave…" the faerie pleaded, not wanting to drag her servant down with her.

Diaval appeared frustrated for a moment, but then did something highly unexpected.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Maleficent became rigid and her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening slightly. When Diaval removed his lips from hers he shook his head at her.

"I love you," he firmly told her. "I am getting you out of here, mistress."

After that was said, Diaval got up and left her, disappearing into the darkness. Maleficent watched him go, heart pounding against her chest like someone beating a drum.

Diaval had kissed her!

He…he loved her.

Blithesome, jubilant, sullen, and grave, Maleficent allowed a grin to curl her lips. It was a sad grin because she knew that the love Diaval had for her could not continue. It could not continue because she would not be alive for him to continue it. More tears gathered in the winged woman's eyes and she lowered her gaze to the ground, the despair clawing at her heart.

"I'm back!"

Alarmed, Maleficent looked up, seeing Diaval in front of her again while holding a rather sharp and large rock. He moved to the shackles on her ankles again and smashed the rock against the chains repeatedly. Maleficent flinched each time the rock impacted the chain, hope glimmering within her.

Eventually, the chains came apart with a loud SNAP!

A satisfied smile adorned the raven's facial features and he moved on to the shackles around her wrists. He managed to get those off too, the chains not the shackles. The iron shackles were still clamped painfully upon Maleficent's wrists and ankles. However, ignoring the pain and feeling extremely relieved, Maleficent threw her arms around the man and pulled him close to her body.

Diaval's arms came around her and he lifted her up from the ground. "It's time to go, mistress. I'll make sure to get these iron shackles off of you, but for now, we must go."

Maleficent said nothing as she clutched on to him, shutting her eyes and feeling safe and secure in his arms.

What would she do without Diaval?