The beginning of this story happens soon afterwards of the Christening of Princess Aurora.
And relates very little with Maleficent or Aurora, though it's part of it.
It all started when the three Fairies took Aurora to the forest to look after her. Obviously, they weren't used to take care of a baby that demanded their all attention and made a few mistakes down the road. Massive mistakes, those. But, for when those mistakes were done, there was always two other individuals that were looking after the poor princess.
Those were Maleficent and her loyal companion, Diaval.
Diaval had been saved by Maleficent before the cursing of Aurora and saw the child as what it was, a child who wasn't very good taken care of. He would stare at Maleficent if he saw something that was done wrong and wanted her to correct her. He knew she had the power to do so, she transforms him at her will.
One of those days that Aurora was crying non-stop and the Fairies ignored her completely, something out of the ordinary happened. While Maleficent was complaining about the awful noise that came from the 'beasty', Diaval distinguished a form walking closer to Aurora. It was white and somehow small. He wondered if one of the Moors had walked out of their sanctuary and was getting into troubles.
The white form slowly climbed up the different furnitures that were outside, as if it wanted to get close to Aurora. Diaval caught Maleficent's attention and both saw with surprise as a white swan peaked its head inside the crib where Aurora was crying without stopping. The swan didn't seem faze by the whining and dug its beak inside, slowly patting Aurora's hand, who immediately stopped crying and pet it.
With one look from Maleficent, Diaval flew over to where Aurora was and both mistress and servant were surprised by the little attention they got from the intrudor. No matter how much Diaval cawed or batted his wings, the swan wasn't moving from the petting position. As a last resource, Diaval got closer and, finally surprised the swan, who cawed, batted its wings and got away flying.
The swan made it to a nearby river and stopped for a drink of water, ignoring that behind it, was a powerful fairy. To the swan's complete astonishment, it began to transform. It was no longer a swan after a few moment. It was a woman, a human by the looks of it, the ones she would always stare from afar and, in return, they would either admire, capture or devour.
The former swan looked around, confused until her eyes set on Maleficent, to whom she bow, shaking a little. She dared to look up a little, specially since she hadn't heard any noise for a couple of minutes. And, what frightened more was the fact that they seemed to be making noise... but she couldn't hear them.
"You're a little of a rebel, aren't you?" Maleficent asked, taking her silent and shock as defiance. Diaval, however, was approaching to a different conclusion.
"Mistress, I think she can't hear." He suggested and snapped his fingers on her face. Her face leaned away from his moving hand, but made no gesture in recognize the sound. Maleficent relented.
"Pity, actually." Maleficent complained, walking closer to her. She raised her hand and gestured to stroke her face. The swan moved away a little, but a single look kept her in place, leaning on her hand. "On second thoughts..." The swan wouldn't recognize that look, but Diaval would. It was the look mistress had on her face when they headed to the palace to 'attend' Aurora's Christening.
The swan only hoped they wouldn't eat her.
Turns out that Maleficent considered the swan useful after all.
Since she couldn't say her name- if she ever had one -Diaval named her Anick. For what his mistress had in mind, she needed a name. He stole some farmer-girl's clothes and helped her dress- not a job Maleficent would do, anyway. After the basics on how to walk and not move a lot her arms like wings, Diaval guided her towards the edge of the city.
Anick may not be able to hear, but she could see, which was more valuable in Maleficent's eyes. Important people don't care about servants, but servants who can't hear? She'd be welcome inside the King and Queen's personal maids in no time. Diaval wondered how would Anick would communicate but Maleficent left it very clear, almost as if she was joking.
"You can caw, she can caw. Do I need to explain you how to do so, as well?"
So, it became Diaval's obligation fly to the castle every week, to get reports from Anick. Maleficent had spelled her in a way that, once a week and under the moonlight, she would turn back into a swan. No one would suspect of a couple of birds, especially since no one could understand them.
Nothing important happened for fifteen years, except Anick reporting the King was more and more paranoid with the pass of time. It was more of bonding time between the two servants of Maleficents. Though she never knew it, there were rumors around the castle that she owned a raven that attacked anyone who would try to get 'hand-sy' with her. For the moment, Anick was happy with Diaval's company.
That all changed when Aurora turned sixteen.
Thanks to Anick's warnings, Maleficent and Diaval were very aware of the soldiers at the edge of the Moors.
While approaching the princess' sixteen birthday, the castle is boiling in movement, but the King is missing. No one- not even his dying wife -can part him from his treasure room. The war councils with his generals had become everyday things and Anick feared she could never warn Diaval about them. In one of the meetings, however, she learnt something crucial and, without waiting nor caring about her own safety, Anick fled the castle to the Moors.
Her shock was great when seeing Maleficent and Diaval coexisting with a teenager Aurora. She didn't understand why her mistress would suddenly meet up with the bane of her existence, but hope it was more than a tactic step. What confused her was Diaval's laughing face, as if he was enjoying himself. That was a little hurtful.
She stared from afar until it was Aurora herself who saw her. Her smile was contagious, but Anick couldn't smile back.
"Hello, there." Aurora's greeting was enough to get the others' attention and it was Diaval the first approaching her. Maleficent watched the reactions from afar and chuckled to herself, realizing that Diaval was in some kind of troubles. When Anick barely looked at Diaval and bowed to Maleficent before turning around, both mistress and servant shared a look before the later followed her, under Aurora's confusion. "Is something wrong with her?"
"Her name is Anick and she can't hear." Maleficent explained, not wanting to go into details. She recognized Anick's urgency in her eyes and was waiting until Aurora was gone to know.
Diaval, however, was in more troubles he could recognize.
"What are you doing here? You could have been followed..." Anick frowned while Diaval's mouth moved and, in her mind, understood why her mistress was the way it was. She refused to look at Diaval until he grabbed her arms, forcing her to do so. "You're here, what happened?" The urgency in Diaval's face was enough for Anick to deliver her message. She learnt how to write in the castle and Diaval could read without any problems.
'Iron traps. Waiting for mistress in castle.'
"Now I see why you risked your life to tell us..." Diaval mumbled to himself. He nodded, as a 'thank you', but it wasn't enough for Anick. She simply turned around and left the Moors back to the castle. "Now, what it's up with her?"
Anick was very surprised when she saw Aurora in the castle.
A maid had searched for her and dragged her, unceremoniously, towards the King and Princess, who also showed her surprise upon seeing her. She ignored the words, but she understood the basic concept: now that Aurora was in the castle, she was suppose to serve her. While Anick took Aurora to her rooms, she couldn't help but to wonder why she was there. A thought came to her and looked at the Princess.
Was the curse acting on its own?
Anick realized that the King wanted Aurora locked down. By mistake, they had locked her inside as well. However, the sun was setting and Aurora seemed to move on her own. With no other option but to follow her, Anick went after her, chasing her around the castle. It seemed that Aurora knew where she was heading, despite never being in the castle before.
She could not fight her against the spell of pricking herself with the spinning wheel. No matter how hard she tried to correct her way, Aurora wouldn't budge and, as predicted, she fell into a sleep-like-death. She got help and was taken to her rooms again. For her it was funny how the King's face twisted in anger and seemed to blame the Fairies, who had arrived upon hearing the news.
Anick was told to stay in the room with the Fairies, while guards outside look after them. Her surprise was big when a boy not bigger than Aurora was found outside, looking as if he didn't know where he was. The Fairies wasted no time into getting him up and taking to Aurora, where they compelled him- not that he needed much persuasion -to kiss her.
While the Fairies were preoccupied with the boy, Anick saw Maleficent and Diaval slipping through the open door and hiding behind a screen. Obviously, they didn't want to be discovered, but the Fairies were more concern about boy and were dragging him again, out of the room this time, closing the doors behind.
"I told you." Maleficent said to her only audience, Diaval, who seemed that he wanted to argue, but kept his mouth shut. He recognized that it was a private moment between their mistress and Aurora, so he pulled Anick away from the bed she was 'guarding' and let them have their moment. "I will not ask your forgiveness because what I have done to you is unforgivable. I was so lost in hatred and revenge. Sweet Aurora, you stole what was left of my heart. And now I have lost you forever. I swear, no harm will come to you as long as I live. And not a day shall pass that I don't miss your smile."
Anick may have missed all the words her mistress spoke, but the sadness, sorrow and regret was more than obvious in her face, in her tears. She could see how Maleficent leaned to kiss Aurora's forehead. It was almost as if Aurora was dead and they were holding a wakening... but she wasn't dead. The second Maleficent turned around, everyone noticed how Aurora opened her mouth and eyes.
"Hello, Godmother."
"Hello, beasty."
"No truer love." Diaval murmured, but he wasn't paying attention to the scene, but to the girl standing next to him... who was totally oblivious of what he was doing. Nor she wasn't aware that Diaval hadn't taken his arms away from her from when he pulled her aside.
Once everyone rejoiced about this event, Maleficent turned Diaval back into a crow and Anick began guiding her and Aurora outside the castle. She could sense there was some kind of conversation between her mistress and the Princess, but she was more concern on the fact that neither her or Diaval had seen guards waiting for them.
She really didn't like it-
A massive iron net fell from the sky and Anick was fast enough to pull Aurora out of the way. Her mistress wasn't that lucky and, while she tried to help to get her out, soldiers started to appear from every single corner. They had been concealed, which is why neither servant saw them. She got pushed away from them, just like Aurora, who seemed to be screaming something at them.
Though Maleficent wasn't beaten yet.
"Into a dragon." She mumbled, almost close to pass out. Under Aurora and Anick's terrified looks, Diaval turned into a gigantic dragon, ready to combat soldiers in defense for her mistress. Anick realized that Maleficent must had said something to Aurora, because she was pulling her away from the battle, though it was clear that she wanted to fight.
Both girls were pushed around while trying to help, ending up in a small and high room that Anick recognized as the treasure room the King used to visit all the time. While she check if Aurora was alright, something caught her eye. A blanket-covered object and, to their surprise, it was moving! Without ceremonies, Aurora pulled the blanket out to show a pair of magnificent and big wings, only fitting for...
Anick's face showed the horror and hatred and disgust of the exhibition. Diaval told her their mistress couldn't fly, but now... While she gaped at the object, Aurora, who must have reached the same conclusion, climbed behind the crystal case and began to push it towards the floor. Anick quickly went to help and soon, the crystal crashed with the floor, letting the wings free.
Both Aurora and Anick followed the wings and, along with Diaval's half-captured self, witness the moment Maleficent rejoined her wings, as if the piece of her that was missing was finally home. Everyone soon lost interest of the battle and were more concern when Maleficent took King Stephan and took him outside the castle.
Everyone knew this would be over soon.
Next events happened in the blink of an eye. Or the snap of the fingers.
The palace had been restored to its former glory, just as the Moors. Things were heading in their previous directions, when no revenge, no pain and no suffering. Moors looked again as if it was a fairytale forest, with helpful creatures in every corner. Anick couldn't believe the differences. Her mistress was acting differently, more playful sometimes. Even Diaval was more open and more affectionate towards her. It was subtle, but it was there.
She wondered what could happen next.
But, in a land where magic lives with reality... anything can happen.