This was a little idea that I've came up with a while ago, and always wanted to start writing it. So now, I've finally gotten it started and hopefully the updates to this story won't be so long. I known I've been kind of braindead storywise, but that school is getting closer my imagination is coming back. :p
Anyway, hope you all enjoy it. I love to hear what you think of it. And I also want to give a big thanks too to my girlfriend Aquarian Wolf. She helped encouraged me to start this, and helped with editing it.
It was truly a happily ever after. The sun was shining brightly up in the azure colored skies, as the birds seemed to ring their tune throughout the castle walls. Below in the courtyard, all manner of servants bustled in haste with the last minute preparations. Bows and strands of white silk adorned the area, as tables were decorated with bouquets of fresh roses.
Even as they went about the busy chores, the servants were in a cheerful mood, as it seemed peace had been restored to the kingdom. Princess Aurora at last had returned home safely, and now on this joyous day, Aurora and the chivalrous Prince Phillip would be joined in marriage.
Over these last few days, the castle was positively buzzing with activity in preparation for this wedding. King Stefan, his wife Leah, and his close friend King Hubert spared no expense upon this momentous occasion. Every aspect of this had to go exactly as planned. They wouldn't allow any mishaps upon the day that they would see their children joined together in love.
The three members of royalty were now down in the courtyard, overseeing every last aspect. Stefan made sure the food was in perfect preparation, as Leah oversaw all the floral arrangements.
While Hubert was busy arguing with the court musicians.
"What?! You want fifteen thalers?!" the fat king blustered. "I may be a king, but that doesn't mean you can rob me stone blind! Ten thalers, and that's my final pay!"
The court musicians looked at each other and shrugged, before turning to head for the drawbridge.
"Wait, come back! Perhaps, I was too hasty. Fifteen it is!"
Despite Hubert's raucous voice echoing throughout the castle, it was still a perfect, blissful day for a wedding. The only thing that seemed the most odd, was puffs of blue and pink light emerging from a high castle tower...
"I say, it's blue!" Merryweather insisted as she flicked her wand towards a dress fitted on a dressmaker's dummy.
Aurora's former guardians, the three good fairies, had been hiding in the tower now for most of the day. They had promised Aurora to create her wedding dress, and planned to surprise her with it by this afternoon. However, a project should have taken only a few minutes for them, was now extending to two hours due to the lack of agreement between the group.
"Merry," Flora interjected pompously. "I've told you so many times that your taste in clothing design is somewhat, how shall I put this...lacking."
"What?!" Merryweather huffed back. Before the blue fairy could protest, Flora once again butted in.
"We want to make sure that this dress is special for Rose. Even more so than our last."
"But when we asked her, she seemed to prefer the blue much more than your pink," Merryweather responded.
Flora's eyes narrowed back at the short fairy. "Well, I'm sure that she only liked the color in that dress design. I don't want to take any chances on this. So, it's going to be pink!"
With a flick of her wrist, Flora pointed her wand at the dress and it turned into a shade of nauseous looking pink.
"That looks just lovely," Merryweather answered sarcastically. "If she wants to make Phillip feel dizzy. The poor boy has gone through enough without having to be made sick."
"Douh-what?!" Flora sputtered. "How dare you! There's no reason to criticize my choice in clothing, just because all your taste is in your mouth!"
"Oooh!" Merryweather huffed indignantly. She had taken all she could stand from the elder fairy, and pointed her wand towards Flora.
"Dears, please!" Fauna interrupted the argument. Quietly keeping to herself, the green fairy had been demurely watching the bickering from the corner. "There's no need for shouting. This is Phillip and Rose's special day, and we shouldn't do anything to ruin it."
Fauna suddenly furrowed her brow and meekly suggested, "Besides, I always thought white would be best for this dress."
The other two fairies stared at her blankly.
"White?!" Merryweather replied in shock.
"Who ever heard of white for a wedding gown?!" Flora gasped. "Radical idea!"
And so squabbles of bickering once again resonated from the tower, as the three still tried to decide on the right shade coloring.
As the rest of the castle was in a hurried bustling, Phillip and Aurora had made sure to stay away from the commotion as much as possible. Walking along a balcony overlooking the land, the couple held each other's hands as they talked.
"So, then she transformed herself into this enormous fire-breathing dragon!" Phillip began to relate his tale to his fiancee with wide eyes. "She then kept breathing fire down upon me before she set the whole thorn forest ablaze and chased me up on top of this cliff. I then flung the sword, and hit her directly in the chest and she tumbled over dead."
Aurora just stared blankly back at Phillip with a raised eyebrow. Not able to continue it any longer, the princess erupted into laughter before putting a hand to his forehead. "Oh, my poor Phillip, you're such a kidder!"
Phillip looked back at her frustrated. "But it really did happen! It was after that, I awoke you with a kiss. If you don't believe me ask the fairies! They were there with me!"
"All right," the princess answered, with her speech still occasionally breaking up into fits of giggles. "But they never informed me about this so-called Maleficent witch you've been telling me about either."
Phillip just only rolled his eyes, and gave her a playful smirk back. It didn't matter to him now all the obstacles that he had to hurtle. The point was that at last he was with the woman he loved, and they were about to be married. All those years that Phillip had grown up as a child, he couldn't help but wonder what this mysterious Aurora woman he had been betrothed to was like. But now, at last he finally figured out who she was - the most witty, charming, and beautiful young woman that he had ever met. The first time he had seen her out in the forest, the prince had known at that moment, she was the one he had dreamed of so many times before.
Gazing at his face, Aurora looked lovingly into Phillip's bright hazel eyes that equally gazed back at her's. The princess could feel her cheeks blush a small hue of red, but tried her best to conceal it. It seemed so unreal to her all that happened over the course of the last few days. At last she had found her true love; the dream prince that she had thought of.
It seemed at last, the young couple's dreams had come true for them. The special loved one that they always had imagined of finding was now beside them. Lovingly, the prince and princess tightened each other's clasp as they continued to walk along and look at the scenery. Phillip placed a gentle kiss upon his fiancee's cheek, and Aurora gave one in return. Now with all their trials and tribulations behind, perhaps it seemed they could find content bliss together after all.
Gruesome squawks and squeaks echoed loudly throughout the chasm, as small dark figures ran down the cliffs to the bottom. From the highest towers of Forbidden Mountain, the henchmen had watched the epic battle between Phillip and Maleficent, and saw firsthand their mistress's demise.
As soon as they witnessed the wicked fairy crumple over the cliff and fall to her doom, the little creatures all erupted in shrieks of happiness and cheering. No more orders to follow; no more cruel reprimands if they failed their job; no more flinching in terror when they saw Maleficent walk down a corridor. There would be no fear now wondering if they had done something to upset her, and the wrath that she would inflict upon them. Now they were free!
For the last few days, the goons had been busy celebrating in Forbidden Mountain. Now with their former mistress gone, the henchmen took it upon themselves to smash the place into more disrepair then it was before; rebellion against their former oppressive overlord.
However, the goons themselves were unsure of what to do now. With Maleficent gone, they no longer had responsibilities or jobs to attend to. A few henchmen wandered off into the woods, determined to find jobs as being trolls and terrorizing any passerby into giving them money. The others however hoped that they could mend ties with Stefan and Hubert and find employment as guards in their castle. They certainly seemed extremely kind compared to their former employer. They just hoped that Prince Phillip would forgive them for what Maleficent had forced them to do.
As they journeyed on their way to Stefan's castle, the remaining goons were curious as to what remained of their former mistress. Walking by the rocky precipice, the small creatures scuttled down to the cavernous floor. There amidst brambles and patches of weeds, were the only remains of Maleficent - a tattered black cloak, pierced with a gleaming silver sword.
The goons crept closer and gathered around in a hushed awe.
"Is that all that's left of her?" a tiny henchmen with bulging eyes asked in disappointment. "I was expecting some kind of big, bloody dragon looking carcass."
"So was I," a bird looking goon chirped in. He inspected it closer and stared at the large sword that was piercing her remains. "Do you suppose this is Prince Phillip's sword?"
"Who's else would it be, twit?" a fat pig-like creature snapped back in his deep gravelly voice. The goon's eyes then widened in realization as a plan formed in his mind. "I've got an idea!"
"You have an idea?!" the bird goon asked in disbelief. "I don't think one could fit in that pea sized brain of your's."
"Shut up!" the pig shot back. "I say we take the sword and give it back to Phillip as a wedding present and sign of truce. Hopefully Phillip will be so thankful, that Stefan and Hubert will have to give us some sort of jobs there in the castle!"
The others chittered in happiness and agreement, as the lead pig goon tried to pull the sword out of the ground. However, it seemed to be stuck fast.
"Somebody give me a hand with this!" he snorted loudly.
The rest of the goons scampered over and each other tugged tightly on the sword. With a deafening crack from the rocky ground, the weapon was finally freed. The henchman all shrieked in joy at their success.
Although, unbeknownst to the cheering group, the flat cloak began to slowly rise up as a form began to materialize within. A green hand extended out one of the sleeves, and reached around before it finally grabbed a hold of the little bug-eyed goon's arm. The henchman shrieked in fear as he jumped and turned around to find the arm from the cloak emerging and digging tightly into his own arm with its sharp fingers.
The rest of the goons stopped their happy chatter as they looked over and watched in horror as a figure began to materialize clearer within the cloak.
Aurora and Phillip sat closely snuggled together on the balcony, as they quietly stared at the scenery. The prince then discreetly shifted and wrapped his arm tightly around his beloved's waist. It seems that this had been the only quiet moment they've had together in the last few days. All of the wedding preparations for today seemed to have kept the two constantly busy from each other. Now at last, it seemed they had time alone.
"I love you so much, my darling Rose," Phillip whispered into the princess's ear. Even though her parents and servants called her Aurora, the prince still preferred her woodland nickname and found it the prettiest.
"I love you so much too, my Phillip," she grinned back. Gazing into his face, the princess couldn't help but beam brightly. Nothing could spoil this perfect day for the two of them.
"What's that over there?" Phillip suddenly asked, as he furrowed his brow.
Aurora glanced up and stared at the direction he was looking in. The prince was staring intently over the horizon at something in the distance.
Phillip couldn't help but take his eyes off the horizon. A peculiar plume of black and royal purple fog rose from the mountains at the edge of the kingdom. There was something very familiar about those colors.
Aurora only glanced at it in bizarre curiosity. It was a strange sight that seemed like it couldn't naturally be explained. The fog from the mountains rose higher and higher before it entered into the sky.
In a brilliant flash of lightning, the once bright white clouds transformed into ominous black. The sun was washed behind the bleakness of the sky, as a sickly green glow shined through the clouds. Aurora stared back at it transfixed. There was some hypnotizing about that unworldly green glow...
"What do you suppose it could be?" Phillip asked, as the sound in his voice was starting to become a mixture of fear and curiosity.
Aurora didn't answer her fiancé. The young woman was too transfixed by the green glow of the sky. Something had seemed so familiar about it to her, as if it had hypnotized her before with its strange shimmer.
A brilliant flash of green lightning suddenly erupted from the sky and struck the ground, within a few feet of the castle's drawbridge. The whole foundation of the castle trembled, as the guests in the courtyard below stared at the skies in amazement. What had been a peaceful sunny day evolved into a supernatural storm in a matter of seconds.
"We better head inside!" Phillip instructed in a panic as he took his fiancee by the hand and pulled her inside the corridor. Aurora still couldn't help but stare back at the strange glow above. It seemed as it held some kind of deep hold over her.
From the topmost tower, the fairies overheard the commotion outside. Peeking her head out of the window, Flora gasped in horror at the sight. The red fairy knew that she had seen that storm of pure wrath and fury before.
"It isn't possible..." Flora uttered in a quiet gasp.
"What's going on?" Merryweather asked. "Don't tell me you've actually stopped criticizing something for once." Curious as to what Flora was staring at outside the window, the two other fairies gathered around and equally looked out in horror.
In an instant, the black sky opened up as it appeared a large whirlpool amongst the clouds was beginning to circulate. Emitting from the black hole, a foggy haze enveloped itself around the castle, glowing a bright green. It whipped strong winds across the palace that were similar to the force a powerful hurricane. The smoke managed to sink its way down and through the cracks of the doors and open windows into the castle's hallways.
The fairies suddenly diverted their attention to the courtyard below as horrified screams shouted from below. Servants and arriving guests of nobility and gentry hurried inside to escape the glowing haze of fog. Stefan, Leah, and Hubert likewise made a hurried dash towards the door as their only chance for escape. Yet before the three royal figures were able to leave the courtyard, they had disappeared in the thick, glowing haze.
"What should we do?!" Fauna asked in a panic as she watched the spectacle.
Flora stared back at the other two. The look upon her face made it obvious that she was trying to conceal her panic, but tried to remain calm. "I don't know. We have to find Rose and Phillip before it finds them!"
The three fairies trotted over to the door, but stopped in their tracks as they saw the smoke start to fill in through the other window. In a matter of seconds, the entire room was clouded in a thick haze. Slowly, the room before them began to disappear as a blinding green light shined all around them.
Running down the hallway together, Phillip and Aurora dashed about in search of the cellar. Hopefully they would find their parents there or at least be able to take shelter from the upcoming storm.
Now that her eyes had been diverted away from the hypnotic glowing sky, to Aurora it seemed as if she had just snapped out of a sudden dream. "What's going on around here? It seems like I'm always left in the dark on something. Like being lied to about who I really was for sixteen years!"
Phillip couldn't help but chuckle at her sarcastic remark, but became serious as he realized the bizarre situation at hand. "I'm not sure exactly what's happening. It looks like some kind of storm is about to hit the castle and we better head for the cellar now!"
As the royal couple rounded a corner, they immediately stopped in their tracks and stared curiously at what lied ahead. A thick layer of fog the same color of the glowing light of the sky was slowly starting to float its way down the corridor.
The prince and princess glanced at the haze in surprise, before they slowly started to back away from it as they noticed it filling the hallways. Turning around, the couple decided to bolt in the opposite direction. However, the smoke appeared to have a mind of its own, as it seemed to speed up after the young couple. Soon, the corridor before them was starting to disappear as the fog surrounded them.
Aurora could then abruptly feel a strange sense of pressure against her body. It felt as if some unseen force was pulling her back away from Phillip and down the corridor. With full force, her whole body began to float backwards out of her beloved's grasp, as she sailed back down towards the end of the corridor.
"Phillip!" the princess shouted back. She struggled to break free from the unseen grasp, but the restricting force failed to relent. She could feel herself quickly being pulled to the entrance of the tower behind her.
"Rose!" Phillip shouted back and began to chase after her. However, the fog started to cloud in front of him, and all sight of the hallway and Aurora had disappeared. Nothing stood before him except an endless void of swirling green smoke.
"Rose! Where are you?!" Phillip yelled back in vain. No answer came to him. Only the stillness of the seemingly boundless green void he was in. The sound of shrieking laughter suddenly shattered the silence. A familiar wicked laughter that sent chills up and down the prince's spine.
Phillip froze in his tracks at this horrifying sound, as he noticed a figure start to materialize out of the thick haze. A pair of wicked yellow eyes shined through the fog and seemed to pierce into the young man's soul as he stared into them. A pair of blood red lips curled into a malevolent grin, as a headdress in the shape of horns appeared behind the shape of the face.
Phillip's eyes widened in horror as his mouth hung agape. "No," he whispered. "It isn't."
Just a quick note, that Leah is indeed Aurora's mother's name. It's appeared a few storybooks I have from the early to mid 1990s.