''Phillip,'' she sighed without even bothering herself to turn around. ''You know, I could have found a job by myself...''

Phillip laughed out loud. ''You wanna play the strong independent girl now, Sleeping Beauty?''

Aurora held back a groan as she was about to snap at him, her cheeks starting to turn red with anger, when a sweet little voice interrupted her.

''Hey Aurora! You're so pretty, I love you!'' A little girl wrapped her tiny arms around the young woman's legs, making her smile, almost forgetting the fury which overwhelmed her a few seconds earlier.

''Hello, little one!'' She kneeled before the girl dressed up as herself – well, as Princess Aurora – and stroke her cheek gently. ''So I see there are two Auroras today, isn't it?'' She chuckled lightly.

The little girl shook her head dramatically. ''No, you are the only Aurora. I am just a smaller version of you...''

The young woman widened her eyes in confusion. That child was surprisingly smart for her age. She threw an eye at Prince Phillip. He was dealing with two little Belle and Ariel who were seating on his thighs as he was kneeling to the ground. He laughed when the two little princesses tried to reach out to his sword.

''Ahah!'' He laughed. ''No, no, princesses! That is not for you! This is for princes to slay and kill some fearsome dragons, not for delicate and graceful girls like you!''

Aurora couldn't help rolling her eyes discretely. Then she reported her attention on the tiny version of the Sleeping Beauty.

''So tell me, little princess,'' she gave her a warm smile, ''what Princess Aurora can do for you?'' She took her small white hand in her own.

The little Aurora looked down in shame. Aurora frowned in concern. What could make that child so sad?

''I don't want to be a princess!'' The girl screamed, throwing herself in the young woman's arms. Aurora froze in astonishment before she put her arms around the little girl's shoulders awkwardly.

Phillip gave her a questioning gaze.

''Uh...well, it doesn't matter,'' she began hesitantly, slowly pulling back. ''But that is for you to choose, darling. No one will force you to become a princess if you don't want to,'' Aurora added, cupping her chin in her thin hand.

Tears fell from the child's eyes, the little girl wiped them away with one quick move, before she smiled sincerely. ''Thank you, Aurora.''

And the group of small princesses left, running towards the Castle, shouting and laughing, just as they had come.

The Sleeping Beauty remained speechless as she watched the kids moving away. Suddenly, she felt a breath on her neck.

''How funny,'' Phillip scoffed, ''this little capricious girl makes me think of someone...'' He stood up and lead towards the direction the children had taken. ''Come now, we have some autographs to sign.''

She arched an eyebrow, utterly annoyed, and she followed him towards Sleeping Beauty's Castle.


After a morning quite busy with signing autographs, taking pictures, giving hugs and smiles, Aurora was finally ready for the parade. It was 2:50 and everyone was getting on their parade float.

The young woman placed herself at the front, next to Phillip. She looked over her shoulder, trying to distinguish a dark shape which should be hiding behind the false plastic dragon but she saw nothing.

''What's wrong, love?'' He took her arm. ''Looking for something?''

She shook her head absently. ''No, no,'' she looked away and reported her interest on the view which spread right in front of her, that was to say Snow White's float. ''I am fine.''

Prince Phillip nodded in silence.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice coming from below. ''Firstly, it is exactly 2:50 and as you must know, we must be on our float at 2:50, so technically speaking, I am not late. Secondly, this float is not the first one to move and I am already here, so there is absolutely no problem. And thirdly...well, what I was doing is none of your business. So now stop being a fool and shut your mouth, you're embarrassing yourself, you stupid!'' The voice said dryly. The poor employee was looking at the owner of this scary deep voice as she was climbing the scale to get on the float.

Aurora looked behind her to see Maleficent in all her mean and cold glory straightening up and placing herself right behind the dragon, which was actually supposed to be...her.

The young woman didn't look away and the older woman seemed to feel the insisting gaze set upon her for she turned her head towards her. She arched a curious eyebrow. When their gaze met, they stayed still for a few seconds during which neither of them averted her eyes. Without looking away, the wicked fairy slightly bowed her head. Aurora couldn't surpress a chuckle as she did the same. Maleficent smirked, and the Sleeping Beauty couldn't say why but that mischevious and defiant smile made her quite uncomfortable. A chill rolled down her spine as she finally averted her gaze.

''Are you ready?'' The employee yelled at all the Disney's staff. A loud general 'yes' made itself heard and the employee activated a switch, causing all the parade floats to move, following the tracks that were going through almost half of the park ground.

She reported her attention in front of her. Everything she could see were children, parents, teenagers, adults, couples and all sort of people all reunited to see the characters of their childhood parading right before their eyes. For most of them, it was a dream coming true.

Phillip murmured something in her ear but she couldn't hear because of all the noise which was overwhelming the place.

And she did what she had been told: she smiled, she took Phillip's arm, she made a few dancing steps, she waved her hand towards the cheering and crying crowd. She was dancing with Phillip when she startled sharply. Some screams were escaping from the public as their float reached it. She looked around, stunned. She looked at Phillip. He rolled his eyes.

''Oh! She's unsufferable...'' He stared at the back of the carriage. ''Maleficent, please! That's enough! You're scaring everyone!''

The older woman was alternatively stretching her arms to the sky and aiming it at the terrified people, laughing mirthlessly. Her smiled faded away as she gave the prince a haughty glare of pure displeasure.

''This is my job, Prince Phillip,'' she snapped coldly. ''Everyone is doing his bit here. Now, if you would grant me the favor to go back to your silly dreamy show of true love and happiness ever after – or whatever you call it – and let me work as I please...I would be very grateful.''

Prince Phillip growled and looked away.

But Aurora couldn't take her eyes off the mysterious woman. She didn't know what was so disturbing about her...but then, she understood.

It wasn't that she was playing the bad role, nor that she was doing it very well, making people scream and step back with anxiety...No.

Aurora frowned as she observed Maleficent laughing out loud right before the shouting terrified children.

Yes, the most frightening thing was probably that she was actually enjoying it.


''Hey, Aurora!'' A soft voice called cheerfully. ''You did a great job at the parade!''

The Sleeping Beauty turned around, smiling. ''Thank you Cinderella, you were not bad yourself!''

Cinderella giggled as she came closer to the young woman. ''Well, I guess we are the perfect princesses people are expecting us to be!''

Aurora suddenly looked down, scowled. ''Yes, I suppose you're right,'' she muttered, gritting her teeth.

Cinderella put a sweet hand on her shoulder. ''Hey, I was joking!'' She laughed in an attempt at cheering her new friend up. ''Of course, we are not princesses! We are actually far from those insipid naïve girls. Oh! By the way, do you come with us tonight?''

Aurora frowned, tilting her head to the side. ''Tonight? What happens tonight?''

The blonde looked at her blankly. ''Oh! I see! Your idiot prince didn't tell you. Well, sometimes we hang out together – I mean, all the Disney's staff – at the bar just near the park entrance. It's called The Fairytale and it's quite cool actually. You should really come!'' Cinderella gave her a pleading look.

The Sleeping Beauty raised a hand to her forehead, lost in thought. ''You said there will be...all the staff, I mean...everyone, isn't it?'' She began quietly.

''Yes, of course!'' Cinderella nodded. ''I will introduce you to my friends here, you'll see they are all nice people. It would be a good way for you to meet people and make new friends!''

Fine, this might be my only chance... I need to take it.

''Okay, I'll come,'' Aurora smiled warmly. ''When do we go?''

''Yes!'' Her friend shouted in victory. ''Oh! Don't worry, I will come to your room and we'll go there together. Just be ready at 9pm,'' she winked at her.

Aurora chuckled. ''Very well, then I'll see you this evening.''

As the blonde was climbing down the stairs towards her floor, Aurora smiled slightly to herself.

It seems it is time to open yourself to the world and break free from all the clichés you have been trapped in...


Cinderella opened the door of the Fairytale.

''You'll see, they are all cool. Here, follow me,'' the blonde invited her in. Aurora followed her inside the large dark room.

They passed ahead of a table full with princes and princesses talking and laughind loudly. The young woman recognized Tiana, Rapunzel, Pocahontas, Belle and Ariel among others. When the two blonde princesses approached the group, Belle and Ariel smiled widely and came to meet them.

''Cindy! I see you have found a new friend!'' Ariel exclaimed, looking at Aurora. ''Hi! As you may have noticed thanks to the red hair, I am Ariel.''

''Hello Ariel, I am Aurora,'' Aurora answered softly.

''Don't worry, Aurora,'' Cinderella bent towards her, ''she may seem a little crazy when you see her, but she's awesome!'' She laughed, soon followed by Belle.

''I see,'' Aurora agreed, suppressing a laugh.

''Yeah, very funny, blondie!'' Ariel puffed on her red hair, rolling her eyes. ''I may be crazy, but I am not as weird as her!'' She giggled, elbowing her friend Belle.

''Okay, let's assume this was not a miserable attempt at revenge...'' Belle gave her an annoyed look. ''Hello Aurora, I am Belle,'' she smiled.

''Hello Belle,'' Aurora bowed her head.

''Very well! Now that you have met my best friends, you need to meet the others! Come, Sleeping Beauty!'' Cinderella took her by the arm.

''Oh!'' Aurora widened her eyes in surprise. ''We are leaving already? But—'' She looked above her shoulder.

''Yes, yes! We'll come back later, don't worry,'' Cinderella cut her off.

Aurora gave an apologizing gaze at her two new friends and followed the blonde towards the back of the room.

They arrived at the bar where they found Jasmine, Elsa, Megara, Aladdin and Hercules. Cinderella waved her hand towards them to which they all answered by a warm smile. Aurora smiled too as she sat at the bar next to Cinderella, looking around in curiosity.

Another group was drinking and having fun at the other side of the bar. Phillip, Flynn Rider, Gaston, the blonde bitch of Atlantis – she couldn't remember her name – and Snow White were all laughing while Flynn seemed to tell some of his funny stories.

Cinderella hadn't stop talking while they were ordering some drinks but suddenly, she froze and looked at the left back of the room. Aurora frowned, following her friend's scared gaze. Lady Tremaine was leaning against the wall, talking with the Evil Queen and Mother Gothel. Unlike their heroes companions, the villains were not shouting nor laughing at loud, they were on the contrary very silent and discrete, and that was only making them more threatening.

''What's wrong, Cinderella?'' Aurora asked, worried.

''Oh, nothing,'' Cinderella looked down, embarrassed. ''I am sorry, Aurora. I really wanted to introduce you to everyone but...I have something to do right now. Will you be okay without me? I mean, you can always go and meet the others without me but...''

''Of course, go Cinderella. There is no problem. I'll be fine, don't worry,'' she smiled, putting her hand on her friend's arm in a soothing way.

''Thank you,'' the blonde answered quietly, looking up. ''I will see you tomorrow then.''

''Yes,'' Aurora smiled in an attempt at giving her some courage for whatever she was about to do, but Cinderella remained definitely sad, and maybe a little ashamed or afraid.

The Sleeping Beauty watched her friend as she lead towards her well-known stepmother. Lady Tremaine smiled coldy as Cinderella approached her. She slowly placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder. Cinderella put her head down. Aurora frowned as she saw all the villains laughing together, looking at Cinderella. The young woman seemed to keep quiet, and that was quite unusual coming from Cinderella. That strange behaviour only caused Aurora to be even more worried. As she was about to stand up and rescue her friend, Lady Tremaine and her stepdaughter left the bar.

Something odd is happening between these two... This is not normal. I will have to ask Cinderella.

She drank what the barman served her in one go, she payed and walked towards the group at the other side of the bar.

Phillip smiled widely as he saw her coming closer, then he turned towards his friends.

''Hey, guys! I want you to meet Aurora! Love, this is my friends. So Gaston, Flynn, Elga, Snow White, here is she!''

''Wow! She is so beautiful!'' Snow White said joyfully. She stood up and planted a kiss on Aurora's cheek. ''Nice to meet you, Aurora!''

Aurora froze in astonishment. ''Yes, uh... It is nice to meet you too, Snow White.''

The others laughed loudly, causing the young woman to frown in incomprehension. They all greeted her with a wave of a hand or a simple ''Hi.'' or ''Hello.''

''So tell me, love, how do you find the park?'' Phillip asked her, placing a arm around her shoulders in a possessive way.

''This is great, I guess there are a lot of things to do...'' She answered abstently.

''Of course there are!'' He scoffed. ''Now come, we're going to the nightclub near the train station.'' He dragged her towards the entry of the bar as his friends all got up and followed them.

Aurora abruptly freed herself from the prince's grip. ''No, thank you,'' she refused, ''I think I will stay here a little more... And then I'll just go back to my room. I'm quite tired actually...''

''Oh! That's not funny, love!'' Phillip rolled his eyes, crossing his arms on his chest. ''Fine. Then I'll see you later, my princess!'' He winked at her.

''Yes, see you later...'' Aurora turned her back on him without another word and sat at the bar again.

He doesn't understand a thing. She sighed deeply.

She heard a slight wrinkling of fabric right next to her, but she didn't flinch.

''I see being a princess is not that easy,'' a deep voice said.

She froze instantly.

Maleficent.

Of course! Cinderella had said everyone was coming here, so why wouldn't she?

She turned her head slowly towards the older woman.

''Well, I suppose being a villain is not easier,'' she said quietly, ''but honestly I can't say which one is the worse right now...''

Maleficent chuckled, that low and enchanting sound caused Aurora to shiver.

''I guess nobody can, indeed.'' She replied, before she locked her gaze into Aurora's. ''Well, since we are both here to forget about our miserable lives, would you mind if I offered you a drink?'' Maleficent asked, her dark red lips raising a provocant and unsettling smile.

Aurora looked down. ''Uh...I, uh... Yes, why not,'' she answered shyly, before smiling back oddly.

''Very well,'' Maleficent waved her hand towards the waitress, ''I know exactly what you need.''

''R-Really?'' Aurora sputtered, widening her eyes.

''Yes,'' she simply nodded. ''A purple cosmopolitan and a rose desert, please,'' she ordered the waitress in a perfect neutral tone.

The Sleeping Beauty stared at Maleficent, speechless.

''What? You are more than eighteen, aren't you?'' The woman asked, arching a teasing eyebrow.

''Oh! Yes, yes of course,'' Aurora confirmed, ''I am 21.''

The waitress gave them two glasses, one full of a deep purple liquid, the other filled with a scarlet red mixture.

Aurora frowned, suspicious. ''What is it?'' She asked, looking at the odd looking drink.

''Something which perfectly suits you,'' Maleficent gestured towards the red glass. ''Drink, princess.''

Aurora took the strange beverage and started examining it carefully. Maleficent grasped her glass and took a sip of the purple liquid, her red lips pursed into an amused smirk.

''Drink it, I say,'' she urged her with her piercing black gaze.

Aurora tilted her head to the side, baffled. She was sure she had already heard that sentence somewhere, but she couldn't remember when...

''Touch it, I say.''

Of course! That was one of Maleficent's lines in the movie Sleeping Beauty!

The real Maleficent in front of her rolled her eyes as if she was able to read her mind.

''Oh dear Satan!'' She growled. ''Come on, princess! I am not going to poison you. That would be pretty unwise of me, don't you think? It is very good, you should really taste it.''

The Sleeping Beauty finally gave up and took a deep breath before she dipped her lips into the red glass. As she felt the fluid flowing down her throat, she closed her eyes, feeling all the flavours mixing in her mouth and overwhelming her brain.

''Oh! This is really sweet and...intense at the same time. What is it?'' She questioned, a gleam of excitement floating in her eyes.

''Rose liquor, rasberry, mint and rhum,'' Maleficent explained, ''some refined and delightful ingredients fitting for a woman like you.''

Aurora looked down, feeling suddenly dizzy. She chuckled lightly. ''Well, I will take this as a compliment then. Thank you.''

''You may,'' the dark woman responded, her eyes still locked in Aurora's as she was taking one more sip of her drink.

The princess looked up to meet Maleficent's gaze. They stood still for a short while in an awkward silence, before Aurora finally looked away, clearing her throat.

The young woman believed she saw her smiling out of the corner of her eyes.

''So, tell me,'' Maleficent put her glass on the bar and turned her head towards the Sleeping beauty, ''what is wrong with your prince?''

''Oh.'' Aurora sighed, posing her glass on the counter as well. ''Actually, he is my boyfriend. And he is the one who found me that job so...he thinks I owe him and that I would do nothing without him. And he may be right...'' She rested her chin on her hand, playing with the decorative cherry hung up on the top of her glass.

''Then I guess you'll have to prove him wrong...'' Maleficent whispered, her voice enigmatic. She had spoken those words so quietly Aurora wondered whether she had truly heard them or if they were just part of her imagination.

''But...I can't,'' the Sleeping Beauty shook her head desperately, ''I mean, I don't know how!''

''Well, it's quite simple actually,'' the dark woman smiled mysteriously while stiring her purple mixture. ''You just need to prove him you are not the perfect princess he thinks he knows.''

''But...how?'' Aurora repeated, turning her head towards Maleficent in a sharp movement, puzzled.

The wicked fairy let out a sarcastic laugh. ''I suppose that is a good start already.''

The young woman glared at her blankly. ''What...what do you mean?'' She asked, her voice hoarse.

''You see, there are many ways to break princess' rules...'' Maleficent suddenly turned towards her and leant in closer. Aurora froze in anticipation. The older woman reached out and brushed Aurora's lips with her fingertips, slowly, sensually. The Sleeping Beauty opened her mouth, unable to perform the slightest gesture. The fairy then stroked her cheek softly.

''And I bet having a drink with an older woman, what is more, a villain, the very woman a perfect princess should hate the most...is a good one,'' she finished, still smiling.

Maleficent straightened up, to Aurora's great regret and stood up, placing her hand on the counter, tapping her fingernails on the wooden bar.

''Now, I shall take my leave,'' she said, bowing her head. ''Good night, princess.''

Aurora didn't manage to articulate a single word and one second later, the frightening and yet so alluring woman was gone.

The Sleeping Beauty took the deep breath she wasn't even aware she was holding before and looked down at her hands. She noticed her whole body was shaking.