Chapter 10 everyone! Are you guys still here? hehe
Anyway, I'm so sorry for the huge delay! I told in chap. 9 that this one would come out quickly, but then I decided to add tons of stuff, and I'm pretty busy with my theater group as well... By the way, I'm going to perform next weekend! Wish me luck! :D
So, I guess overall this chap. got very long, I hope it's not too boring XD
Well, I guess that's it! I hope you all enjoy it ^^
"Who's there?" Maleficent suddenly asked, breaking her line of thoughts before she could notice; she warned herself that someone was at the other side of the door, and unconsciously she knew it wasn't any of her human servants, or her guards.
"It's me, Mary Poppins… May I come in?" The nanny asked in disbelief, one hand still raised to knock on the heavy wooden door. She couldn't have made that much noise for the sorceress to hear her footsteps approaching… How did she know she was there, anyway?
Mary distinctively heard a heavy sigh before Maleficent spoke a rather soft "Yes, you may". She took a breath and pushed the door confidently.
"I believe I asked for a servant to deliver your breakfast some moments ago… Haven't you received it?" The sorceress asked coldly when she saw the nanny entering the grand hall. She almost hoped for a mistake from one of her servants; she could use some punishing at the moment… She couldn't understand why, but whenever she saw that girl, she felt urges of discharge her feelings into something… it didn't matter the feeling; it always came out as something destructive anyway.
"I'm not here for this reason" The young woman spoke assertively, motioning towards a chair at the end of the table, but Maleficent stopped her with a raised hand.
"Don't bother in taking a seat. I'm finished here anyway, if you intend of having something to eat, go to your room" The sorceress got up from her chair in a elegant move, but before she could reach for the exiting door, she was blocked by the irritating nanny, who stood there, in front of her like she was nothing else than an all-powerful queen.
"I want to talk to you. I believe this conversation has been postponed for too long"
Unbelievable; in just a matter of seconds, there she was again: the bossy and conceited lady, who had presented herself as a "teacher" just a few days ago… It seemed that not even the fact of being severely wounded by wild and murderous vines and roots could bring the girl's personality down. She was a tough one, despite her fragile and petit figure.
"Fine" Maleficent sighed again; she thought about sitting on her chair, for the conversation seemed it would last a long while, but she gave it a second though; she would never talk to someone in a lower level, especially someone so inquisitive and proud as Mary Poppins. "What is it you wish?"
"Well, first I'd like to know how you knew I was at the other side of the door, before I could even knock" This wasn't the most important thing she needed to say to the sorceress, but curiosity took over her before she could control it.
"Does this really matter?"
Maleficent knew who was at the other side, and she knew how she managed to discover it: She felt somebody's energy. This was a rather unusual thing to feel due to the beings she used to live with… Usually her human servants were already so dead inside that they didn't even emanated any energy, and her guards… well, they weren't exactly human, and they had a different aura as well, one fit for a demon. Sometimes Maleficent wondered if her aura was similar to the guards'… of course a much more powerful one, but still… Was she so inhuman? When she started to care about how her aura felt like?
In any way, it was very strange; when the girl arrived in her castle she already had a pretty strong energy, but now it felt different… like it had turned into a much more powerful thing, that could be felt from a considerable distance… What was the reason for this change, though, Maleficent still didn't know.
"Well… no. I was just curious about it" Mary dismissed the subject by waving her hand, and then proceeded with an efficient tone "I'm here to ask if you are ready"
"Ready? For what, exactly?" The older woman raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, as a sign of suspicion.
"For your lessons, of course! I'm here to teach you since I arrived, but the current events had made me unable to do it properly" Mary gave the woman a slight smile, like the memory of being trapped, abused and injured were nothing but a pleasant reminisce.
"You're unbelievable…" Maleficent groaned under her breath, rolling her bright empty eyes. "You still haven't realized that you won't be able to teach me anything?"
"I like to think of your case as a big challenge" The nanny left out an unconscious sigh before she fixed her posture, never losing her dutiful tone "Shall we start then?"
The sorceress remained still for a moment, as considering if she should waste her time with such ridiculous things, then, after what seemed quite a long moment, her red lips curled in a small and somewhat wicked smile, and she focused her yellow eyes on the blue ones.
"Alright… You shall have the opportunity to surprise me. If you don't, then you can go back to your previous room…"
"I consider the room I'm in now the only room you ever gave me… I absolutely don't know what you mean by 'previous' room"
"You know exactly what I meant"
Maleficent's eyes seemed to spark with a dangerous glow, which made Mary open a contained smile; the older woman noticed that before she could conceal it, though.
"Have you lost your respect all of a sudden?" Maleficent asked in a menacing tone "Suddenly I became a reason for laughs?"
Mary Poppins with her lips now completely straight and somewhat contracted, shot a cold and professional look at the sorceress; her hands coming together by the level of her waist.
"I wasn't laughing… I'm just glad that you finally accepted"
Before Maleficent could notice, they were already walking side by side, towards the main entrance of the castle; Mary had convinced her to get out from that depressing place, and walk with her into the open. The sorceress briefly suggested they take a walk in her gardens, but Mary just looked at her with a sarcastic expression, almost like saying "not funny". Instead, they agreed to take a stroll outside the dark domains of the Forbidden Mountains, to actually see some green grass and breathe a little bit of fresh air… not suffocate with an atmosphere that resembled the one of death itself.
"I don't see anything wrong with my air…" Maleficent mumbled loudly, as both women made their way across the halls.
"I think we already reached an agreement about that… You'll see the difference when we arrive at an open glade."
They kept walking in silence through the hard and cold stone floor; the skies looked grey and dark, and the surroundings were overall cold, although both women could see a highly illuminated forest just a few miles from where they were, and the sun – as incredible as it seemed – touched the tops of the trees, making the green leaves shine. It was almost like if the Forbidden Mountains were a kind of completely separated place; like an amount of space trapped in a glass bottle, filled only with dark grey clouds. For a brief instant, Mary left her mind wander and she thought if she had to open an invisible door to get to the world filled with sunlight.
"How do you manage to live properly, when the skies in your domains are always so dark?" Mary asked in disbelief; she could distinctly feel a great difference in her mood and in her body as she got closer to the forest… like she was being lifted from the ground. "It's always so… oppressive. Please, don't take that as an insult"
"It's not an insult… I do like the way I live, and may I say, that the changes you're feeling right now as we approach to a place bathed by sunlight, are exactly the opposite of mine"
Maleficent spoke softly; she wasn't in the mood for any conversation at the moment, but since she agreed in taking part of that absurd little stroll of theirs, she decided she would dedicate herself to the task… She was, after all, very curious about what Mary would try to teach her.
"So you do feel changes… And you do notice when someone changes too"
"I'm not the emotionless, senseless being as many people believe" As she spoke that, the sorceress had in her voice just the slightest hint of sadness, or maybe it was sorrow… but she certainly didn't sound like the cold, indifferent and somewhat sarcastic woman she always were.
Mary turned her face away and remained silent; she wasn't intending to sound rude or anything, but she knew that if she continued to talk, it would only get worse.
They walked a few more steps into the dark ground of rocks, until they reached the end of the realms of Maleficent's mountain; the ground descended lightly at first, but then the angle narrowed itself, until it seemed pretty much like a slide. When the hard ground ended, tiny sprouts of emerald grass began; the border was so distinctly showed, almost like life didn't dare to start to grow at such horrid place; almost if there was really an invisible wall separating each world.
Both women seemed to glance at each other, as asking a silent question of who would go first; the sorceress signaled for Mary to go before her, and the younger started to descend carefully; the short heels of her shoes giving her little security as she walked.
Then, suddenly as a lightning, a sequel of acts began to happen: all that Mary could perceive was her feet sliding dangerously on the small loosen shingles, her balance being completely lost, her entire body bending back, and, before she could feel the hard stone ground beneath her, Maleficent's arms closed tightly around the middle of her waist. The sorceress was right behind her, preventing her to fall miserably like a sack of flour…
They remained. For the most long and awkward half second of their lives, they remained in that position.
Maleficent's first thought was to drop the woman on the floor, like she was burning her hands; like she was something completely disgusting and somewhat toxic… But the woman managed to go against all her instincts, and helped the useless girl on a straight position. The witch wouldn't be able to say if she ever blushed in her entire lifetime, but she certainly felt her cheeks burning, and she could swear her face was probably painted in a shade of a much darker green.
"Oh dear! Do forgive me…" The nanny mumbled, losing her composure and blushing almost as furiously as Maleficent, while she balanced herself again with the help of the woman who was behind her. "Uh… But thank you…"
"It's fine" The sorceress replied shakily, making herself look up, despite all the embarrassment she was still feeling. "Shall we keep going, or…"
"No… We shall continue now" Mary started waking again, this time with extra carefulness.
After the little accident, the two women didn't try to make any kind of small conversation again; in fact, Maleficent even doubted she could be able to talk properly to the nanny ever again. Physical contact was something as foreign as the sentiments of kindness and love to her… She still felt incredibly dirty and embarrassed, like she had done something really wrong, and the soft breezes, the sunlight, and the smell of nature weren't helping her either.
After what seemed an eternity of walking through the thick and closed forest, they finally reached an open clearing in the woods, where the rays of yellow sun penetrated the space through small breaches between the high, leafed trees. The younger woman smiled at the sight of several colored birds that started to approach them; she began to hum a calm and slow melody, and soon after, the birds were already landing in her fingers and shoulders.
Maleficent rolled her eyes and left a small sigh escape from her lips while she searched for something to rest herself on. The nanny was beginning to kneel carefully on the ground; all the while the birds kept coming and coming, until both women were surrounded by the colored little creatures, and the melodic sound of the tweets.
"How do you manage to be so annoying?" The sorceress mumbled audibly, clearly doubting that she would learn anything useful from that little stroll.
"Some people might find annoying. It's just a matter of perspective if you think about it…" Mary answered, without turning her head to face Maleficent.
They spent some minutes in silence; the dark witch slowly admitted to herself that the place wasn't that bad after all; it was shady, with the least amount of sunlight she could ask for, it was peaceful, nearly cathartic, and – if she was completely honest with herself – the sound of the birds and the low humming of the young woman were relaxing, endearing, and – in a somewhat bizarre way - they delivered the feel of security. Maleficent leaned against a more distant tree and watched, almost completely enveloped by the comfortable sensation that the place delivered her. She allowed herself to close her eyes and take a deep breath; she had forgotten how nature could be refueling to her powers, she had almost forgotten that nature was an important part of herself.
"Do you want to get closer?" Mary asked, finally turning around to see the sorceress; she smiled slightly at the sight of the woman relaxing in the distance.
"What…? No, I don't think so" Maleficent finally broke away from her daydreaming state to focus on Mary; she felt her face flushed by embarrassment of being caught in such vulnerable position.
"Don't be afraid" Mary dared to tease, smiling wider.
"I'm not afraid!" The sorceress tried to look menacing, but the tone of her voice had the unmistakable hint of astonishment and disbelief.
"Well, then come here!" The nanny called, excited. She seemed more loosen and audacious now that she was in a whole different atmosphere, Maleficent sensed that before sighing deeply and approaching the place where she was.
She didn't know why on Earth she was doing such things, but in a moment the witch found she was already kneeled down next to the girl, watching as the tiny birds soared away from her, probably sensing that she was a possible threat. She groaned and rolled her eyes; that just demonstrated that Mary's "lesson" would serve for nothing.
"Stupid creatures…" She mumbled, thinking about getting on her feet again, but she stayed; in one way or another, the feel of the grass and the earth were pleasant and empowering for her.
The young woman ignored her, turning around and picking something from the floor; an insignificant little bird, wrapped around in Mary's handkerchief. The little creature would seem dead if it wasn't for the light and almost imperceptible breathing.
"Look what I found" Mary Poppins presented the creature to Maleficent, raising it to the level of their eyes almost like it was the most precious treasure on Earth. She uncovered the bird a little bit, and it chirped weakly.
"Hm… What do you want me to do, congratulate you?" Maleficent spoke sarcastically, clearly confused about the whole thing.
"I was hoping you could do something about it… it's clearly injured" The nanny shot Maleficent an irritated look, before removing the creature soft and carefully from her handkerchief and placed it in the sorceress hands.
"Do you want me to kill it? Couldn't you have done it yourself?" the woman snapped back, starting to get irritated.
"No!" Mary quickly held Maleficent's hand, preventing her from hurting the bird even more "Can't you help it?
The witch remained silent for a moment; she could heal the bird in a matter of seconds, but why should she do it? There were already many birds in the forest, one certainly wouldn't be missed… the creature definitely was meant to die, why she should interfere in something that seemed already settled? No, she wouldn't help it, she didn't need to. But as the tiny animal lifted its head a little bit - the motion apparently requiring all the energy it had left - the black round eyes found Maleficent's yellow ones, and they begged to live, they begged for her help, and the sorceress felt that kind of strangeness for the second time in her life.
She raised one slender finger and poked the bird a little bit, lifting its wings to have an idea of how much it was injured; the animal in her hands tweeted painfully and the woman frowned, torn between two ultimate forces battling inside her; at one side, she couldn't help the little creature, she couldn't be seen as merciful… Soon enough she would be known by not just being merciful, but also weak and the thought of it was enough to make her sick. Furthermore, she would be going against her own nature; she wasn't good, she wasn't compassionate and loving; she was supposed to have only pure evil inside her heart.
On the other hand, she wanted to help; she certainly didn't want to see it die, especially in her hands… She could be evil, but at the moment she felt she wanted to prevent this death, rather than cause it. She wanted to heal the poor animal in order to hear it sing, to see if it would be grateful to her… in order to see it spread its wings and fly away, alive. She had done this before, with Mary, why couldn't she do it right there, then? What was keeping her so much?
The sorceress sighed deeply and placed a hand on top of the bird, in a few moments both women saw a flash of light coming from Maleficent's hands, and, as if it wasn't even injured to begin with, the little bird got itself up on its tiny feet, glanced over at both women in a grateful look, spread its wings and took flight. It was over, like it never happened.
"Happy now?" Maleficent asked, getting up from the ground and dusting off her robes lightly.
"In fact, I am. Congratulations, you learned your second lesson" Mary also got up from the floor, giving the woman a confident and pleased smile.
"May I ask what the first lesson was?" The older woman lifted a shaped eyebrow.
"You learned about the joy of helping others… it seems that my stroll in your gardens wasn't a complete waste of time, after all" With that being said, Mary turned around in her heels and walked away confidently, not looking back, being followed by several birds.
Maleficent was left there, rolling her eyes for the billionth time that day, letting an amused laugh escape through her nose; apparently the girl knew more about her and her feelings than she could imagine… Maybe she was opening up too much, maybe she was more willing to learn things she though she once understood, maybe she felt joy and kindness "in the smallest, tiniest amount of it, of course"
But as she walked away to catch up with Mary, she decided that she didn't really care…
There you have it! Me, sucking at describing places haha
Oh, and the whole "don't be afraid" thing; yes, it's from the "Maleficent" trailer. Who else is excited for this movie? *I am* XD
The first awkward moment of these two! Awwn *-* (I'm being completely silly right now, I'm sorry)
Anyway, what do you think of this chapter? Like it? Hate it? Wanna leave a comment or suggestion? You already know what to do! PM or review me, I'm always open and willing to talk!
Thanks so much for reading!