Maleficent and all its content belongs to Disney. The cover picture is a published piece of Concept Art and belongs to Disney. References and other mentioned names, products, brands and all other licenses belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's and storyline. This story is purely written for entertainment and hobby purposes. English is not my native language.
Thank you for giving this read a chance, and I hope you'll enjoy reading this.

Summary : When Stefan takes her wings, Maleficent vows her revenge on all things human. When she wanders alone and wounded she encounters another victim of his betrayal. The only problem : this victim is human and he decides to stick around. A human who is so tempting to take, to kill, to destroy… But to betray? Never. AU; eventual Maleficent/OC

A/N: Just to be clear : Maleficent is not pure evil, but she is darker than her portrayal in the movie. As much as I love Jolie's performance, the 'evil' that she initially does besides the curse is little more than some sarcastic or slightly dark comments or pranks and some theatrics.

The story begins with Stefan's betrayal and from there on begins to become AU.

Hominis Proditam.

Chapter 1 : Betrayed.

Long ago, on lands unspoken of in these times there were different folk roaming the lands, free and wild. They're still there and around us today, you see, but in these modern times they are very few in number and they've begun to hide their presence from us completely centuries ago.

You see, we, humans -or 'big folk' as we're often referred to- began to be with more and more and the upcoming of technology didn't go hand in hand with non-human beings. I'm sure you've already read or even seen the effects we have on ecosystems, and the animals that live there. We need more place, so we expand. But what happens to those that already dwelt there?

They disappear and begin to dwindle in their numbers. Or they move too, away from us. Although, these folks, they never had to move so much. You see, they don't live in a place we humans find very interesting. They live in The Moors.

The Moors. A forest like area that at first sights seems to be a wet, swampy place, often located in areas that have three times more grey and rainy days than sunny ones. It's no good ground to build on, it's rarely interesting or lively, it possesses no valuable resources, it's distant, it stinks…

It might just be the very last place you expect mysterious and wondrous beings. Many would rather think at some magnificent forest or mountain, some underwater-city, or perhaps an island somewhere. But that is exactly why they never had to move in all those centuries. We don't come over there with our big clumsy feet, while they hearing us marching as an elephant through the forest from miles away.

Unknowingly, we leave them alone because we cannot see the true wealth of it. And that's just the way they like it.

It was an early morning when the light began to creep to the trees surrounding the lands of the Moors. Mist covered the lands though and blocked the harsh sunlight to a more playful yellowing of the surroundings. Some faint cries of birds and other animals could be heard to greet the dawn, wrapped in its mysteriousness.

On one of the banks next to a pond, lay a girl. Not just any girl, mind you. No, this, this was a fairy. And not even any fairy. The most powerful of all fairies.

What is a fairy exactly, you might ask? Well, I suppose I need to give a short bit of explanation since they are so rare these days. Fairies are creatures born primarily of magic. Of course fairies don't just pop out of the thin air. They have parents like you and me. However, the mother is always a fairy. Since there can be no male fairies, they usually find a husband (if they take one, that is) of a species that matches them best physically and mentally for there are many kinds of fairies.

But their essence is drawn directly from the magic of the earth. From mother earth, you might say. They have a core of magic, like all magical creatures do. Some are able to use that magic, like fairies, pixies and eeries can. Others like elemental sprites, treants or nymphs can only use it concerning their element and what they are. And some can't do magic at all, but simply need it to live, like the mud-hoppers, the trolls and the wallerbogs. Without a place that offers enough of this ambient magic, none of those can thrive or live.

Fairies usually look quite human in appearance, with the most prominent difference their wings of course, and slightly distorted human complexions. They vary greatly in size, though they usually stay small and pixie-like.

Concerning their magical and physical power we can be brief. The bigger, the more power. This fairy that we're speaking of was perhaps even the fairy you might say. Standing at six feet tall she was an intimidating and powerful being. The guardian of the lands, the protector of the Moors, the safekeeper of all creatures nonhuman. Her name?

Maleficent.

Maleficent was slowly rising from her slumber. She had rarely slept so deep. She wasn't really worried by the words Stefan had told her. The old king Henry wanted her dead? Not much of a surprise. He had wanted her dead for years now, ever since that battle of the Moors where his puny army was devastated by the guardians and herself and she humiliated and wounded him. Now that he was on his deathbed, it was logical that he would command some extra forces. But soon he would indeed pass away and the follow-up would most likely have other problems than chasing her down relentlessly. Besides, they had never managed to enter the Moors, nor could they stand against her.

She was waking up now and moved her shoulders a bit more comfortably while laying on her side, wondering if Stefan was still asleep. He used to be. She was always the early riser when they were young, while he liked to sleep in. But that small movement brought forward another feeling than comfort that she did not anticipate.

Pain.

Agonizing, excruciating pain.

Her back felt like it was on fire, as if the two spots beneath her shoulder blades had been impaled with burning iron spears. She couldn't hold back some cries of pain. But she wasn't one fire. She felt cold. She tried to get up but the sheer amount of pain made it extremely difficult. What hurt so much? What was going on? Was there something harmed on her wi-

She stiffened and shock overtook pain for a moment. Her wings. She lacked a certain familiar weight on her back. She couldn't feel them. No. Nonono! That couldn't be true! Had she broken something so she could no longer move them?

With great effort she managed to slowly turn her body a bit so she could see to them… and her blood froze with what she saw.

Her wings weren't harmed or broken.

Her wings were gone.

Brutally cut off. She couldn't comprehend the situation for some moments. How could her wings be gone? How could they? They were as much a part of her as her arms, legs or her head. Perhaps even more than those, save her head.

She desperately tried to feel on her back, tried to move the muscles that commanded them ignoring her frantic and ragged breath. But reality had no mercy for her, and she knew it.

Her gasps had long turned into cries but now they turned into screams. Bloodcurdling screams she let out, not capable of dealing with the devastation, the pain, the grief, the rage.

A bit away, a haggard looking man with a cart felt a chill run up his spine when he heard the screams that froze his blood, as he made his way to get back to the castle with haste.

What was she without her wings? How could she possibly still be? She was a fairy. All fairies had wings. Except for her now. Her beautiful, powerful and trusty wings were reduced to nothing more than two bleeding stomps on her back. She was a freak, a failure, a monstrosity. What would the others think, especially since their protecto-

The Moors. Her duty. The lands and all the folks that she swore to protect… how would she do that now, that she was no longer capable of flying? The humans could take over and they would destroy all.

And all this, all this pain because of Stefan. Stefan. The name brought forth a wave of other pain originated by the betrayal. Why? Why, oh why had he committed such a heinous crime against her? What had she even done to him? They were friends, they loved each other. She had not seen him in years, but he had still come to warn her of the Kings increasing hate towards her, had he not? So why?

What had made him turn in the night? Why was he yesterday still her old friend and… Oh. Except he wasn't. He had not been her friend yesterday. He had acted the part. He had played on her heart and grovelled a bit, he had said what she had wanted to hear. It had been his plan all along. The wine must have drugged her, she realised. Otherwise she would have woken up the instant that he touched her wings. He had the tools ready.

Yes, it had been his plan all along. This was no longer the boy that selflessly threw away one of his only possessions, his ring, for a newfound friend. This was a human, who above all else, craved for power.

A part of her dearly wished he had just killed her in one swift stroke. At least she would have been spared the pain, the humiliation, the horror of a life without her wings.

'No', she immediately thought. 'No.'

'I'm not just going to roll over and die. I will continue to protect the Moors. I must. And it will not end here. She would find him. It could take some time, but she would find him. And she would enact justice. He thought he could just take her friendship, her love, her heart, her wings and trample upon it? No. I will never forgive him for this betrayal.'

She tried to get up, only to fall back down again several times. The searing heat on her back was like white hot fire, but she clenched her jaw, grinded her teeth and pulled herself up. In an attempt to stay upright she grabbed a small branch on her right, but to her surprise her magic ran through it the moment she held it and it grew and twisted itself into a staff on which she could lean.

Slowly, she took a step and if it wasn't for her new-found staff she would have fallen already. Deep breath. And another step forward. The third one went a bit easier as she limped forth. Her balance was lost due to the big shift in weight and she had to search how to get on again.

She had never felt so weak in her life and she despised the feeling. She loathed with all her core this feeling of helplessness, this… vulnerability. She was a strong and proud being. She should not be like this. It was beneath her. She was the ruler of the skies, the guardian of the Moors, the warden that defied an army by her mere presence.

But soon she once more found her step and dragged herself on beyond the borders of the Moors. She would have to see what the humans were up to in case the treants, the forest warriors needed to focus more on this part of the border. She would have to find Stefan, before he could get away with her wings. She needed them back. And she would find out why, why he had defiled her like this.

And then she would make him wish he had never done it.

Alright, first chapter was a bit of an introduction, next chapter in the making where Diaval and the OC will step in.

AN: What Hominis Proditam means isn't that hard to find out.*Hint* It's latin. *Hint*