A/N: I am so happy to have all of your reviews, follows, and favorites! I am very flattered. I plan to update approximately every two days, just to give you guys a schedule. I don't own anything except Pebbledrop. Enjoy!

Maleficent heard the healer pixies talking to Aurora in hushed voices. She had fallen asleep. "What's wrong?" she asked. The pixies almost jumped out of their skins, but quickly recovered.

"Godmother," Aurora said gently, "there's too much magic in him. The pixies say he can't handle it because he wasn't born of magic. They say that there have been too many changes for him and it's blocking his healing."

Maleficent felt like her heart had been touched with iron. It was her fault. She looked to Aurora. "I put so much magic in your curse you should have been dead in a day! Not to mention the idiots' 'gifts'! How is it you lived?" She asked harshly. Aurora's face darkened in sadness and she ran off. The faerie called out to her, "Aurora, come back, I'm sorry!"

Two of the pixies flew off after her. Maleficent sat down next to Diaval in defeat. A young pixie came into her view and looked up at Maleficent sorrowfully. "The princess's true nature was never changed by your curse, she was the product of the wish of the pixies for the queen to have a child. So she was born of magic. That's why she is able to relate to all of us fair people" the pixie stated, "but the raven..."

"Who are you?" The faerie asked curtly.

"Pebbledrop," she answered, "There is a chance for him. If we can find a way to change his nature so that changing is in his nature, he should heal."

Maleficent thought about Pebbledrop's words. "Keep him alive," she said to the pixies. For the first time in three days, she left her friend's side and took flight.

Diaval knew of Maleficent's hatred toward the king. He didn't know how it had infected her heart and turned it cold. He didn't realize that when they went to the christening, they would leave horror and pain in their wake. The raven silently pondered his place in this feud, this battle of wills between the faerie and the king.

"Well, well," she said chuckling, "What a glittering assemblage, King Stefan." She paused and took in her surroundings. Diaval perched himself on her staff, curiously awaiting his mistress's next action.

"Royalty," she started, stroking the raven's smooth feathers, "nobility, the gentry, and-how quaint!-even the rabble."

Diaval could already tell that this would not end well for the royal family. Maleficent was powering herself with hatred. She sighed, "I must say, I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation."

Finally, the king spoke, "You're not welcome here," he said angrily. The raven wondered what on earth had possessed the king to insult Maleficent in her current state. The faerie feigned hurt and laughed.

"Oh, dear," she said softly, "What an awkward situation." Diaval thought maybe, just maybe, his mistress would be merciful. That as long as nothing else happened, they would leave with only a fierce threat of action if Stefan didn't leave her alone. All hope of that died as the queen opened her mouth.

"And you're not offended?" The queen asked courteously.

Maleficent smiled, "Why, no," she replied, "And to show I bear no ill will, I too shall bestow a gift on the child."

Diaval could hardly listen as the light tension broke and everything turned bad. Stefan stood quickly and shouted, "No! We don't want your gifts!"

The pixies looked worried. As Maleficent got closer Knotgrass mustered up the courage to say, "Stay away from the princess!"

The other pixies joined in, "Yes, stay away!" Maleficent sent them all flying with a wave of her hand.

The faerie looked at the baby in thought. "Listen well, all of you," she said as green magic began to flow from her finger tips, "The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, loved by all who meet her."

The queen stood and said, "That's a lovely gift."

King Stefan on the other hand, pleaded with the faerie, "Don't do this."

Maleficent silenced them with a finger put to her lips. Diaval watched as his mistress looked around the room, her eyes catching on a spinning wheel, given as a gift. She turned away from the baby to face the king and queen. Green magic pulsed around her as she started the next part of the curse. "But," she said, "before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death! A sleep from which she will never awaken!"

"Maleficent," the king interjected quickly, "please don't do this, I'm begging you!"

The faerie smirked. "I like you begging," she said, "Do it again."

Looking defeated, the king lowered himself to his knees. The raven noticed that before he begged for mercy again, he looked to the room full of his subjects, fearful that they might think him weak. "I beg you," he finally said.

"Alright," Maleficent acquiesced with a smile, "The princess can be woken from her death sleep, but only by," she looked pointedly at Stefan, "True Love's Kiss!"

The faerie turned towards the crowd, "This curse shall last until the end of time! No power on earth can change it!" She swirled her cape and walked out of the hall laughing, Diaval flying behind her.

As much as he hated that Maleficent had cursed a baby and that he had been a part of it, he couldn't bear the thought of his mistress being alone for a minute during her act of revenge. He knew inside the darkness was a heart as gold as her true magic and just as beautiful but that heart had been broken and corrupted and now she was more fragile than ever.

So he would stay, even if he hated her actions. He would be there to support her in the darkness so he could be there when she reentered the light.