New prompt: Maleficent saves Regina


As the minutes passed in eery silence, Maleficent watched her chest rise and fall. The sound of her deep breaths were almost inaudible in the oppressing silence of the room. More than once she found herself uncertain, nervous even and she had to make sure that Regina was still alive.

The soft skin of her face was illuminated by the first rays of sunshine that have found their way through the clouds. She didn't notice it, didn't feel the warmth on her skin. She approached quietly, not wanting to wake her and instantly laughed at herself. A low chuckle escaped her lips, trying to suppress the uneasiness that was haunting her.

Carefully, she sat on the edge of the bed. Maleficent held her breath, afraid she might break her. She ignored the overwhelming urge to touch the brunette and regarded her silently. She wanted her to wake up, give everything if only she would open her eyes. It felt like she was at a complete loss when it came to the woman in front of her. It felt like yesterday when Regina had walked into the castle, asking for help. She never forgot that moment and how trashed she had been. The blonde had laughed at her for being so stupid and childish but Regina had turned out to be more powerful then she had ever imagined. She had saved her and she never forgot that.

I never forgot her, Maleficent thought and took a slow, deep breath.

They had seen each other every now and then, whenever the King had left and she had always enjoyed her company. They had developed a friendship, something that had probably been a lot more but she couldn't find the right words to describe it back then. Mal couldn't be weak and neither could Regina but when they were together, safely hidden behind palace walls, she knew she was save and she trusted the queen with all her heart.

She looked at her again, willing her to wake up. She needed to know that she was okay and she needed answers. The sorceress wanted to know why it all had to happen and why Regina didn't talk to her. It made her furious and at the same time she felt the guilt weighing heavily on her shoulders. She had saved her but she'd let Regina down when she needed her most.

Maleficent felt helpless and it caused feelings she never knew she had. Slowly she rose from the bed, putting some distance between them. As she looked out of the window, shaking her head in disbelieve, she wondered again and again what she had missed. Had she been so busy with herself that she hadn't noticed what had been right in front of her?

I used to be a powerful and feared sorceress and I have never been afraid of anyone, Maleficent thought.

At some point she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be afraid until everything had changed out of the blue only two days ago. The fear that now seeped through her veins was new, numbing her relentlessly. She had never known that feeling and didn't know how to deal with it, especially when it involved another person. Deep inside she knew that the only reason she was so afraid was because she cared about Regina.

Mal cared about her more than she had ever thought possible. They had not seen each other in a while and she had always played it down for some reason. She was not the kind of person to dwell on feelings and get emotional.

Or so she had thought.

She was still trying to understand but the only person that could give her answers remained unconscious. She looked at her, still sleeping soundly and felt the anger returning with the same questions she had asked herself before.

Why didn't she talk to me? Why didn't I notice?

And why did she think I could live without her? She thought to herself and walked to the bed. She kneeled down in front of it, so close to her that she could the warmth radiating from her resting body.

„I need you to wake up," she whispered. „I know you can hear me, Regina. I need you to open your eyes," Maleficent waited, seconds passed by in anticipating silence but nothing happened.

She'll wake up when she's ready, a small voice inside her head reminded her.

„Maleficent?"

She heard her own name, echoing off the deserted palace walls.

Regina? She thought and listened more carefully, rising from her chair.

Maleficent?" that voice called again and with disappointment the sorceress noticed that it wasn't Regina and she wondered who would be brave enough to enter her castle without permission.

I know you're here," that voice said. It sounded unsure, scared even. Maleficent quietly laughed to herself. She saw her from afar and regarded her for a second. She seemed tiny and out of place, cautious and scared even. Maleficent was certain that the woman didn't want to be here and yet she had entered the Forbidden Fortress. She wasn't anything like Regina when she had first disturbed Maleficent and asked for help.

I need your help, please," she nearly begged and the sorceress smirked a little. She was certain that the poor thing must be terrified. She thought about her next move; walk in and face her or scare her a little more. She didn't want to waste her time with people who thought they had the right to invade her castle without asking. She should just scare the hell out of her and teach her a lesson.

Didn't they learn anything? Maleficent wondered and thought that she had inflicted fear on so many people that they would prefer to leave her be. Before she could make up her mind, something caught her eye and sparked her curiosity. The blonde woman was wearing a necklace with a sparkling pink pendant that could only be pixie dust.

A fairy, Maleficent thought to herself when she noticed the wings on the woman's back. She took a deep breath and focused, re-appearing almost right in front of the stranger who seemed frightened and scared for an instant but she didn't back down.

What do you want?" Maleficent asked slowly, putting as much anger into her words as possible. She had a reputation to keep up and she couldn't just give it up because of a stupid little fairy. „What makes you think I'm okay with you just entering my castle?" Maleficent said a little quieter and closed the distance between them.

I… I… need," she said and tried to find the right words.

You need to leave!" Maleficent said a little more intent. She didn't have enough patience for this and she needed her to leave.

No," she said and took a deep breath. There was something about her that still caught her interest. „I… Regina needs your help!" she said and the sound of her voice alarmed the sorceress. The fairy was scared and yet she was here, asking for help and something told Maleficent that it was serious. If Regina didn't come to ask for help herself, something was wrong because she would never send anyone else. Not to Maleficent.

What?" Maleficent asked, more alert now.

She needs your help, I don't know what else to do," the fairy said again. She seemed scared and there was something desperate about her that made Maleficent follow the request without a second thought.

She wrapped her arms around herself, fighting off the afternoon chill. Nothing had changed and she had paced the room impatiently, wondering what to do. She couldn't sleep because there were a thousand questions, too many voices keeping her awake before she had a chance to fall asleep. She laughed at herself, surely there were a few possibilities for her to solve that problem but she couldn't risk it. She had to be awake in case Regina woke up. She didn't want her to be alone when it happened. She had had endured enough loneliness already.

She had done horrible things; killed and inflicted pain and fear. She had been ruthless and cruel sometimes and she had thought that nothing could unsettle her like Regina had but what she found only two nights ago, following Tinker Bell's desperate plea, had terrified her.

After endless hours of pacing, Maleficent walked to the other side of the bed. Carefully laying down on the bed, faintly aware of Regina's presence. The sun was setting slowly, colouring the room in a lovely orange glow that reminded her of her own fire that was warming her from within.

„She's in here," the fairy said and pointed to the door to her left. Maleficent had seen it before, she'd been here a couple of times but no one had ever found out. As much as she would love to rub it in the King's face, she couldn't make their friendship known for Regina's sake. Maleficent could only imagine what Regina would go through if he ever found out.

She had never been fond of that man, feeling protective when it came to Regina but she also understood that Regina couldn't run away and leave it all behind. She took a deep breath and entered the room, feeling nervous. There was silence when she walked and she immediately felt that something was wrong. The air felt heavy and sticky, a distinct smell lingering in the air that made her flesh crawl and she immediately felt sick. She knew where it came from and her heart hammered against her chest.

Regina," she whispered when she reached the bed. Her voice was more unsteady then she'd thought. She ignored the image in front of her, refused to acknowledge what had happened. She kept her eyes on Regina's face. „Regina," she said a little louder. „What have you done?" Maleficent asked and took Regina's face in her hands. The kind felt cold and sweaty beneath her palms; she looked too pale to be healthy.

Hey," Regina whispered after a couple of seconds. She didn't keep her eyes on Maleficent, they were wandering and looking around. She had a faint, eery smile on her face.

I'm right here," Maleficent said again. „Look at me."

It's you," Regina whispered. „It's over," she whispered.

What did you do?" Maleficent asked again, whispering more to herself. She shook her head, wincing at the sight of the blood that was visible to her. She didn't want to take a further look, she had seen enough.

Its over," Regina whispered again and closed her eyes. It took a few seconds more for Regina to show any kind of reaction and Maleficent was starting to feel scared.

I'll take you away from here," Maleficent said. She couldn't leave her behind, she had to make sure that she was okay. She needed to take care of her and keep her safe. She knew that she had to be strong for both of them, summoning all her strength to take them back to her castle.

It took her almost another day until she finally opened her eyes. It had felt like an eternity to her, wishing that Regina woke up and now that she finally opened her eyes, she was at a loss.

The blonde sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. She opened her eyes, looking around just like she had a few days ago. Maleficent wasn't sure whether she recognised her surroundings or not. For just an instant, she seemed terrified.

„You're safe," Maleficent reassured her softly. „No one is going to harm you," she said, wondering if she wasn't just reassuring Regina.

Regina looked at her for an instant, trying to find the right words before she turned her head away in shame. One by one, the memories returned and she couldn't bear looking at Maleficent.

„I'll get you some water," Mal said and left before Regina had a chance to reply. She wanted to give her some space, if only for a couple of seconds. When she returned, Regina was sitting in the bed. She leaned against the backrest, hugging her knees. She didn't look at Maleficent when she returned. She took the glass of water quietly, sipping a couple of times before she put it away.

„Regina," Maleficent said softly. It was a plea, filled with emotion and worry that touched Regina deep inside and considering her mental state at this moment, she didn't have any strength to set up her defences and fight it. The moment the blonde said her name, she felt the scalding tears burn in her eyes. She didn't know if she felt relieved because she had been saved or angry for the very same reason. At some point she had finally had enough courage to put an end to her misery and now she was here, alive and breathing.

„Look at me," Maleficent asked her and sat down beside her. She took Regina's hand, a wave of relief rushing over her when she didn't push her away.

„I can't," Regina whispered almost inaudible and shook her head. The tears were streaming down her face. All of a sudden she felt so stupid and ashamed and she didn't know if she could face her friend. „I…" she was at a loss. She couldn't find he right words to justify what she had done. A part of her knew that she didn't have to justify a thing but she also felt like she owed Maleficent some sort of explanation.

„I didn't know what to do," Regina whispered after a couple of seconds. „There was nothing left…" she spoke quietly with an unsteady voice.

„I was scared," Maleficent almost whispered in return. She didn't mean to judge the queen, to make her feel more guilty but she needed her to know that seeing Regina like this had terrified her more than anything she had ever felt before. „Do you know how I felt when I found you?" she asked through gritted teeth and her own anger subsided a little, her voice nearly cracking toward the end of the sentence. Suddenly, it caught Regina's attention. She had always relied on her friend's strength; she had seemed almost invincible and powerful that Regina had never really considered how deeply the sorceress cared for her.

„Look at me," Maleficent repeated, a little more demanding and when Regina finally faced the blonde she was certain there were tears glistening in her friend's eyes and it suddenly hurt to find out that her friend had been hurt just as much as she had been through all these years.

Carefully, Maleficent closed the distance between them and put her forehead against Regina's.

„I never meant to hurt you," she whispered and softly cupped the blonde's face with her hands. The closeness and the physical contact were soothing her, this was exactly what she had missed and needed for such a long time.

„I know," the dragon replied because she really did but she needed Regina, they needed each other. „You're free," Maleficent whispered when the truth dawned on her.

„What are you talking about?" Regina asked. She was tired and emotionally exhausted and it took her a moment to understand.

„You're finally free," Maleficent repeated and Regina understood. There would be nothing left behind when the King returned, a few reminders of a life long-gone. As far as they'd be concerned, Regina was dead and with that thought relief washed over her because she'd be free.