Thank you all for reading! These babies aren't mine :(

Genre action, rated T.

Protect Me

Maleficent and Aurora padded softly down the stairs, crossing the deserted hallway carefully. The whole palace seemed to be deserted. I fluttered along the walls, checking corridors nervously. It was too quiet. I was thrilled we had broken the curse, and ecstatic to see the enormous burden lifted from Mistress' shoulders, but it was not the time to let our guard down.

Maleficent beckoned to Aurora, who had fallen behind. She seemed to be sharing my fears.

Suddenly an ominously loud click sounded from above, and an enormous chain link net struck Maleficent down. She screamed as the metal scorched her skin, and Aurora cried out and ran to her. Guards were streaming from the corridors, and I frantically flew at them as they approached my Mistress with spears and swords.

Protect me.

I dive bombed a guard, but one struck me with a gauntleted hand and I staggered, winded. Useless, helpless, strengthless-

"Into a Dragon."

Her words enveloped me like an updraft of summer air, her golden magic catching my wings. I felt the tingling of transformation, felt my flesh stretch, my bones grow heavy. Something hot and ancient burned in my belly, and I gazed upon the humans with a sudden sense of power, an immeasurable rage.

I exhaled flame and wrath upon them like the hellfire of their devil. They fled screaming, burning, howling with pain. Protect me.

Maleficent slumped beneath her iron prison, and I roared with fury, slamming through a line of men with my two-ton tail, smashing armor and bone. Protect me.

I crouched defensively over her, biting the iron netting with my teeth the size of swords and hauling it up and away, felling guards with their own torturous trap. She rolled to safety, but the dozens of guards were becoming hundreds, all with their attention focused on the dragon in their parlor. My skin stung as with nettles as they showered me with spears, arrows, and sword strikes, piercing my hide in a dozen places. Panic took over, animal forcing human consciousness down as I flailed and roared, spewing fire. Voices screamed-one seemed familiar.

Protect me.

I thrashed in pain and frenzy, and suddenly was pulled down as a chain flew over my neck, anchored by men on either side. I pulled against it, but another caught my leg, a third wrapped around my muzzle.

Movement in the corner of my eye. Shields, war shields, weilded by men, surrounding Maleficent. I jerked forcefully, sending a line of guards tumbling, but more took their place, anchoring me with chains, binding a wing, my flailing tail, my legs

Protect me.

Unable to speak, I roared. Flames flickered all around; my feet fell from beneath me, pulled out by soldiers, and I fell hard on my right wing, struggling, writhing, desperate to regain my feet. They stabbed me viciously with all manner of weapon-I could not see Maleficent.

Protect me!

A beat rose up from the shields, and the sound of iron striking flesh sounded above the melee. I cried out, kicking, screaming. We had never planned to die here.

Suddenly, through my haze of pain and panic, a golden light outshone the dragonfire that burned in the great hall. I strained to look-

Maleficent hovered there, framed in fire, supported by a pair of magnificent tawny wings. She was beautiful, terrible, perfect.

"Kill her!"

Projectiles flew from every direction to strike her down, and suddenly the dragon in the room wasn't the greatest threat. They turned attention from me, and she struck down a fiery chandelier, causing enough disruption for me to wrench free, roaring triumphantly.

We wrought havoc on them, shattering them, scattering them. I smeared the hall with their blood, thickened the air with their ash.

Protect me.

I swore on that day in the field to be her servant, and serve I would. I would protect her until death took us both, if need be. I fought through pain and fear and reason until at last, there was no one left to fight.

The King was dead, and his forces fled, leaving a wounded dragon, a frightened, soot-stained princess, and a renewed faerie to flee.

Love you all! I'll try to respond to every drabble request in some form along the way.