The Dragon Extinguished

Author's Note: I was inspired to write this by "Enter the Dragon." A possible narrative wherein Cora acquires Maleficent's spellbook after her defeat at the hands of Briar Rose and Stefan.

Characters:

Maleficent

Cora

Henry

Maleficent staggered into the great hall of the Forbidden Fortress, casting her staff aside. Filled with an impossible emptiness, she thrust herself onto her dark, cushioned bed. Her headdress fell off, releasing a mess of blonde curls.

"How could I be defeated by the likes of them?!" Maleficent moaned aloud.

"How indeed?" came a sneering voice.

Maleficent quickly sat up to see a beautiful young woman standing by the fireplace.

"Cora," Maleficent scoffed. "How did you get in here? Did you climb down the chimney?"

Cora grimaced at the disgraced sorceress. "I didn't come all this way to be insulted by you, Maleficent."

Maleficent chuckled sardonically. "And I wasn't expecting a visit from Rumplestiltskin's tart."

Cora's cold eyes grew frigid. "Be careful, dear. I'm a princess now, and I think we've just seen how well you fare against royalty."

"You'll regret that remark," Maleficent shot, rising from the bed and squaring her shoulders towards Cora. She raised her arms, and a cloud of black smoke began to swirl around her.

Cora stepped back in sudden doubt as the cloud grew larger and engulfed the witch, but her sneer returned when the smoke evaporated, leaving a very distressed, very human Maleficent.

"I heard that Stefan's kingdom referred to you as the Mistress of All Evil. How misleading rumors can be!" Cora unleashed a wave of magic that pinned Maleficent to the wall. The stone reshaped itself to form manacles over her hands and feet.

"How?!" Maleficent gasped. "You're only a miller's daughter!"

Cora's shoulders tensed. "I am so much more. You've had an impressive run, Maleficent, but it's over now. You've been knocked down, and now you'll serve as another stepping stone in my ascension." She strode up to Maleficent and stretched out her hand towards her chest.

Maleficent felt empty already, but when her heart left her body, her last vestiges of willpower were gone.

Cora admired the black heart in her hand. "Impressive. I see that I have much yet to do before I surpass you. But don't worry, my dear. I will. I will become more powerful than you, or anyone else who stands in my way. And you're going to equip me with whatever I need to do it."

With a wave of Cora's hand, Maleficent was released from her stone shackles. "What do you want, Cora?" she asked with deepest loathing.

Cora smiled wickedly. "I want your spellbook. You must have one, and I'm sure it would be most instructive to me. Be a dear and fetch it."

Maleficent was forced to go to her bookshelf and retrieve the tome. Cora approached, snatching it from her and surveying the shelf's other contents. Her eye fell on a strange, double sided candle. One end was white, and the other was black. The ends were joined in their center with iron, or some other ruby-studded, dark metal.

"What's this?" Cora asked, gripping Maleficent's heart tightly.

"It's a cursed candle. It can be used to sacrifice one life to save another."

Cora laughed mirthlessly. "Who would you want to save?"

Maleficent didn't answer.

Cora stepped towards her, brandishing the candle. "That's right. No one. You have no interest in saving anyone, and no one would want to save you."

A tear rolled down Maleficent's cheek, but she remained silent.

Cora looked at her rival menacingly. "I was going to keep this, you know," she said, holding up the dragon's heart. "You could have been very useful to me. A villain to do my dirty work while my name remains spotless. But that would be a waste of my time. Your power is broken. I'll give this back to you now. As long as you have it, you'll never be as strong as me."

"Why is that?" Maleficent asked.

Cora pushed the heart back into Maleficent's chest. Maleficent doubled over in pain, falling on the cold floor.

"Because you've neglected the most fundamental truth of our trade. Love is weakness. As long as you can feel love, you'll be weak. I won't have to worry about you."

Cora turned to exit the hall, but Maleficent lunged forward and grasped her arm, looking intently at the younger woman.

"You'll regret removing your heart, wench. A time will come very soon when you'll need to be able to love, and your inability will be your undoing."

Cora laughed, "Why is that?"

Maleficent smiled the faintest of smiles. "You're with child."

Cora's cold eyes looked to one side, as if planning her next move. "Finally!" she quietly exclaimed with an icy smile.

Maleficent glowered up at her. "You will fail, miller's daughter. Your quest for power will leave you as broken and as empty as I am."

"You're quite mistaken," Cora said, glaring at the wretch. "Well, at least where I'm concerned. You have become worthless. If you have any Sleeping Curse left, you should use it on yourself. I doubt you'll have a chance to use it on anyone else. I've wasted enough time here. Goodbye, Maleficent."

Clutching the spellbook and the candle to her empty chest, Cora dematerialized in a cloud of purple smoke.

Prince Henry entered his bedchamber quietly. He found his wife closing one of the drawers of her vanity as though she'd just deposited something.

"I've been looking for you, my love," Henry said, moving to Cora and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Where have you been?"

Cora smiled at her husband. "I've been with an old crone. She gave me great news."

"And what is that?" Henry asked, leaning to kiss Cora on the forehead.

"I am with child."

Henry gave a smile of fondest joy. "Cora!" he exclaimed laughing. "This is wonderful!"

"Yes," Cora said, looking at her reflection in the looking glass. "Yes it is."

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed my little story! Please review!