A.N: Welp, here's the next chapter. My life was hectic for quite a long time but it's beginning to settle now. Just a few more weeks and I'll be free of everything. Then I'll have time to maybe start a proper sequel to For Your Happiness. Anyway here's the next instalment, as before set before the movie verse.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and all rights go to their respective owners.

...

"Come Diaval, don't be like that." Maleficent smirked, her voice playful for this rare moment.

"Respectfully Mistress, I am being the reasonable one here."

"Hmm," her eyes twinkled, God he loved when she was in such a mood, "are you sure you aren't just being a teeny bit overprotective? Worried about me are you?"

"I am your servant, of course I must worry about you."

"Well rest assured, I can take care of myself."

"And I have no doubt of that, but surely you see the faults in this plan of yours?"

"There's hardly a choice Diaval, I'm doing it with or without you. The last attack left the wall severely damaged. If we do not repair it now their next attack may damage it enough that those men could get through. I need not remind you of the dangers of men."

Her voice took a hard edge, as did her eyes. Diaval knew the subject was closed, and no, she did not need to remind him of the dangers men could bring. If not from his experience as a raven then from listening to Maleficent scream after what they did to her.

"No, you don't need to remind me Mistress. And as your servant I shall be there, anything you need, remember?"

"Thank you, Diaval." She smiled at him, triumphant. "Walk with me, if all this goes smoothly I will allow you to visit the little beast. I know how much you enjoy that."

"You are not fond of her also, Mistress?" He was teasing her again she knew.

"Of course not, such a silly notion Diaval. Or do you prefer 'Pretty Bird'?"

Diaval scowled, and wished that he could throw something of the mud variety at his Mistress without being turned into a worm.

"I did not choose that name for myself." He replied indignately. Maleficent only smirked.

She'd grown fond of Diaval, which was in itself dangerous. She still worried that she had taken something from him and then shoved something else into him when she had first turned him into a man. Maleficent knew most of all what a man could do when you put your faith in them.

"Yes but you are quite a vain bird, I'm sure you offer no protestations when she speaks it."

"Why look at how early the Shypner Flowers have bloomed. I shall gather some for you when they have reached full maturity." Diaval quickly changed the subject, causing his mistress to chuckle but let it slide nonetheless.

"Yes, they are quite early aren't they? Useful however, do remind me, what are they used for?" Maleficent had been educating Diaval for the past few years, it was for his own good, he needed more than just the knowledge of how to swing a sword.

"Healing balms and medicines Mistress. The plants ability to heal wounds and help the sick are matched by no others. Some even call it Faerie's Flower because of the similarity between the two's healing abilities."

"Very good Diaval, I see you have been practicing your reading with the book on Moorland plants."

"Indeed Mistress, I thought it'd be valuable to know."

"It is, and how do you prepare these healing balms and medicines?" Maleficent hummed, she enjoyed teaching Diaval, though she'd never admit that.

"You dry the flowers in the sun, and then crush them into a fine powder, Mistress." Diaval replied, the questions were trivial if that, but he was still fine with answering them. "After that you combine them with other non-magical ingredients, it all depends on what you're trying to make. If you add a magical ingredient in by mistake, the mixture will turn volatile. It's a simple process in theory, but to actually execute is difficult because of the fragile nature of the Shypner powder and the timing has to be exact while brewing it."

"Very good Diaval, you seem to have studied that flower in particular vigorously."

Diaval felt the back of neck heat up, he hoped that she did not find that strange or lazy, like he had not been doing his duties while reading. But she had created that book for him, surely she had wanted it to be read?

"It was fascinating, a pity that there is only one copy of the text it is in." He teased, speeding his stride slightly so that he was not so much behind his mistress as he was beside her.

"Keeping information like that written in books is a human concept, as you know. I just thought you'd like more to read than your name and the children's books you managed to steal."

"And I thank you deeply for teaching me to read, I was just saying that you did such a good job condensing that information into the form of a human book I wish I could share it with the other creatures of the Moors."

"I am afraid that if I share such information it will fall into the run hands, human hands, and information like that could be devastating."

Diaval nodded his head in understanding, the book was one of a kind, she'd produced it out of thin air as a gift to him. His mistress had told him that it held the secrets of all the growing life of the Moor in her knowledge, that the book was derived of that. What he read was how she would explain it if he had asked, the words on the page were her thoughts, and her knowledge was vast. Diaval would often stay up till the sun peaked over the horizon reading it.

There were secrets in there that even Maleficent's thoughts had flagged as dangerous. Plants and roots that could drain a faerie of her magic, others that could poison the bloodstream upon contact, or thorns that if broken through the skin can cause a being to sleep for weeks and weeks.

Diaval was glad that his mistress trusted him enough to give him such secrets and not be wary of what he would do with it.

...

They'd reached the wall, and Diaval understood at once the dire need to repair the enchantments, it looked as if the King's men could take their sword to it and it would crumble.

"I thought the wall could not be burned... Mistress?" He looked to her in alarm, asking for answers she was reluctant to give.

"It can't, not usually anyway, but there was too much strain on it and it had to choose whether to fight back or regenerate itself."

"It chose to protect the Moors."

"It chose as I would've chosen, it is a direct branch of my magic and therefore myself."

Something about that statement should've set alarm bells off inside Diaval's head, but none chimed. He wasn't completely unconcerned, just not as concerned as he should've been.

"So if it had been you, in the flesh, you would've used your magic to keep fighting instead of protecting and healing yourself?"

"Yes, I will not leave the beings of the Moor to the humans. I try not to be as cruel as they see me."

Diaval remained quiet after that statement, he was well aware of the way the other creatures behaved around his mistress. It upset him, and he made his displeasure known to all of them, they were not trying to be mean or cruel but he made it clear that that was exactly what they were.

They had been shocked, but also confused. Why did it bother him so much, they asked. He'd replied with something about treating all beings fairly, but he knew the true reason was it upset his mistress much, she just hid it well.

"You are their Queen, Mistress. And they could not ask for a better one either, there is nothing cruel about you."

He faintly heard Maleficent snort but she made no other comment. He waited for instructions, the faint tingling as he changed, anything, but the faerie was silent as she began her work.

Maleficent, had not forgotten her servant, she was merely seeing what he would do without her guidance. The whole reason she was educating him was so he could manage on his own, it was of no use to him if he could do nothing without been told to.

He watched her for a few moments, shifting his weight on the balls of his heels and glancing around. Not long after she had begun repairing the wall and its enchantments he walked over to the closest tree and swung himself up into it's branches.

She smirked, he was a creature of habit indeed. He was taking watch, a feat she often assigned him whenever she actually took him with her to do this. He was always a raven though, because when her nerves were this high she just couldn't trust a man. Even if it was just Diaval.

'You're trusting him now, aren't you?' A voice whispered in her mind, 'You trusted Stefan too, look what happened. You're so very foolish, Maleficent.'

'Diaval can be trusted, he is my servant. I would not be as foolish to teach him the secrets and knowledge of the Moors otherwise. Even Stefan does not know the things Diaval now knows.'

'Trust a man, and he'll destroy you.'

'He's not a man, now shut up.'

'What is he then? A protector, a raven, what have you made him into?'

'I said shut up.' Her breathing was coming in short bursts, and there was a thrumming in her head.

"Mistress?" His voice startled her, and she just managed to control the burst of magic that threatened, pleaded, to be unleashed.

"What are you doing?" Maleficent demanded, shaken by how close she had come to harming him, how close her fears had come to driving her out of control.

"You're magic, Mistress, it was becoming... I do not know the word, but it was going faster and faster, and well there was bits of green sparking out of it."

The faerie registered his words and glanced at her hands, if she'd let her magic strike Diaval when he'd startled her he'd be-

"I was lost in my thoughts, come. I am finished with this section."

Diaval nodded, walking beside her, though her pace was faster than before. If one person knew how dangerous his mistress's thoughts could become it was Diaval.

Sometimes her nightmares would ravage her in a new way, a dangerous way, with her green magic shooting from her fingertips and her body arching and her screaming like she was being murdered. Diaval was always awake for her nightmares, but he would never intervene unless she had one of those kinds of nightmares.

So as either a man or a raven Diaval knew it was his duty to wake his mistress, he knew he'd have a few moments where her delirium would allow him to slip back into a position that would suggest he'd done nothing. He wasn't sure if she was even aware how volatile her dreams were, he'd learned pretty quickly it was in his best interest to avoid being hit with the magic she produced then.

Diaval noticed she still hadn't come out of the state she had been in before, her eyes were unfocused but not worryingly so, her whole body was stiff, and her magic was rushed, not the soft soothing pace she usually healed things with.

She must be on edge because we are on this side of the wall, Diaval decided. As we should be, she didn't even change me so I could scout ahead.

Maleficent for her part, was trying to just focus on the magic leaving her, no thoughts other than repair the wall. The faster they could leave this place the less tense she'd be. The faerie knew she should pay more attention to her surroundings, but she hoped Diaval would manage as lookout and nothing would happen, as it usually was.

She should of known better.

...

One maybe two hours later Maleficent was quite relieved to be finishing the last section of the wall. There'd been no incident with the humans, and soon they'd be inside and safe again.

Diaval contently watched on, glancing between his mistress and the tree line. It was during one such glance that something caught his eye, it was there then it wasn't.

He focused his eyes on that one spot, determined to figure out what was there.

It came again, this time it was longer. It glimmered in the sunlight, before vanishing again. With rising dread Diaval realized what it was, armour.

"Mistress!"

Three things happened at once.

One, Maleficent turned towards the startled yell of her servant.

Two, Diaval jumped towards his mistress.

Three, the archer released his arrow and hit his mark.

A cry of pain was released, and the faerie collapsed as the arrow embedded itself into her shoulder where not seconds ago her heart would've been. Had Diaval not shouted, the Queen of the Moors would be little more than a corpse.

It was agony, the arrow was deep and her magic was trying to heal the wound but the arrow was ripping it open over and over again. It felt like she was being shot over and over.

Maleficent clawed at the ground, struggling to sit up at the very least.

Diaval felt the world slow when the arrow struck Maleficent and felt it stop when she fell. His breath failed, and for the longest second he'd ever experienced she remained unmoving.

Then she began to gasp out in pain, the arrow still lodged where she'd been shot, and Diaval's world started moving again.

The first thing he knew was that his mistress wouldn't be able to change him into anything in her condition, this led to the second conclusion. He was just going to have to deal with whatever human had dared harmed her in this form.

The term animalistic rage was most definitely in play here, and he was sure the archer sensed it as well for his eyes widened as Diaval approached him.

With red tinted eyes Diaval launched himself at the guard, and struggled to get the helmet and chainmail off or find a weak spot, just as Maleficent had taught him. The guard struggled to find his ground, but Diaval was unnaturally strong.

Blow after blow came to the guard when Diaval could not find a weapon he could reach, and some far off place in his mind registered how his knuckles flared in pain each time he dealt another punch.

It was gruesome, and the guard never stood a chance, for even kicking and squirming and struggling he could not get Diaval off him without his weapon. Soon, he struggled no more and the fury faded from Diaval's eyes.

He turned back towards Maleficent, who'd abandoned the idea of trying to get herself up and simply watched him as he committed the act. She was still groaning in pain, and cried out when he gently picked her up.

"Is he...?" She asked, not saying it but both knowing it. Dead.

"Yes." He replied tensely, and she'd known that is what the answer would be, for Diaval had blood coating his hands and splattered upon his face.

His first kill, but not his last.

"Diaval?" She felt herself moving, knew that they were heading back into the Moors. "I think I'm going to lose consciousness soon."

"Don't. Stay awake, we're almost there." His voice was wrong, she mused, it was hard with no trace of mirth. All wrong for Diaval.

But she tried anyway, and turned her head to see where they were. He wasn't lying, they were truly almost to her tree. She realized that they weren't just moving, Diaval was sprinting.

Her thoughts were getting all jumbled up, and soon the only thought she could comprehend was the pain. It seemed shock had worn off. Maleficent wasn't sure if she could bear anymore pain, she just wanted it to end.

Diaval set her down gently, and carefully removed the torn sleeve of her dress. He needed to see the wound.

"Dammit." He hissed, the arrow had gone through, but just barely, he knew it was going to be quite painful to remove. "I'm so sorry, Mistress."

He broke off the longer feathered end, making it as short as possible. Maleficent was tossing and turning by now, and the only relief he could feel from that was her magic was still responding.

He grasped the arrow tip, not really caring that it sliced into his own fingers, and pulled the arrow through his mistress's shoulder.

Suddenly the pain peaked and she couldn't bear it anymore so she screamed. A flare of magic burst from her, trying to protect her from whatever was causing this pain. Then it got better, green magic turned golden as it licked the wound, mending it one final time. Drenched in sweat and exhausted, Maleficent fell into a restless sleep.

Diaval was successful in removing the arrow, flinching as the faerie screamed. He should of noticed the warning signs, he almost always did during her nightmares but he didn't and he felt a newfound pain surge through his body as her magic shot towards him. It blasted him into a tree and Diaval knew no more.

A.N: And there's the end. This kind of chapter is usually where I excel, that's probably why this one is the longest yet. Please tell me what you think, I'll gladly take it into consideration and it motivates me to write faster.

Since I did rather like writing this chapter I propose a vote. My next chapter can either be:

A) a part two to this one-shot.

B) Another one-shot set before this during Maleficent's lessons

Or C) just a completely different prompt

Your choice met lovely readers, thank you for following, favouriting, and reviewing.