Title: Tale XII

Prompt: "Wars"

Character(s): Maleficent, Evil Queen/Regina Mills

Authors Notes: AU of the Maleficent/Evil Queen confrontation because it sucked how much they FUBAR'ed the Mistress of All Evil (so much fail).

The kind of evil she embodied never remained banished, vanquished by the hand of true love or not. A pact between the forces of hell and a sorceress of her magnitude were not so easily broken. Even in the aftermath of Prince Phillip and Aurora's triumph, the darkness that was Maleficent slowly, but surely, began to return to the land.

And in the shadow of the Forbidden Mountain and its fortress, a mass of thorns and wicked trees crept around the base, sure to ensnare the unfortunate soul who dare enter her domain. The threat of the mistress returned and loomed in the distance of the dark lands, yet no on dare threaten a preemptive war against the sorceress, for to invoke her anger a second time would be to invoke an evil far greater than expended upon them the first time.

And thus, she stayed in the gloom of the castle, stewing in her anger and hatred for the beauty that survived her curse. In that time, the Evil Queen had come to befriend the sorceress, their bond kindled by a shared hatred of those considered be "fairest" in the land. Troublesome harlots who sought to shame their position in power, be it by the mere existence or intentional snub.

As her carriage carried her through the forest of thrones and up the winding path of the mountain, the Queen knew better than to trifle with the time of the sorceress, but time was off the essence and there was no time for her to consider the feelings of her friend.

She wanted what was hers returned.

The draw bridge fell and allowed her passage into the courtyard of the fortress. The Queen leapt from the carriage before it came to a complete stop, tossing her cloak behind her she stalked toward the entrance of the fortress. The labyrinth of stairs within the dank and macabre environment lead her to the throne room of the mistress. The chill in the air grew sharp, pricking her skin the closer she got to the throne. She stared into the empty seat, eyes watching the raven as it groomed its feathers as a show of disinterest toward the castle's guest.

"To what do I owe the occasion, you darkening my doorstep, 'O bitter Queen?" The Queen turned to face the voice behind her. A horned figure of impressive height, cloaked in black stared through her out of the darkness of the doorway, Maleficent regarded the Queen with mild disinterest. The Queen scoffed at her theatrics, one hand on her hip as she shifted her weight to the left. Maleficent stepped forth into the light, her pale skin and yellow eyes illuminated in all their abnormality. "Was it not enough, the kiss of death sealed in the apple, to kill the one who wronged you?"

"Seeing that the wretch is still alive and swimming in the riches of the Enchanted Forest, I would think not," The Queen snapped. "And something tells me you knew the spell wouldn't work."

"Wouldn't work?" Maleficent feigned ignorance, hand outstretched for her bird. Diablo soared over head, The Queen sneered at the animal as it settled on the sorceress' shoulder and taunted her with a squawk. "My dear, if the spell did not work, I can only think you are to blame for it," She laughed. "However, if history has taught me anything it's to never underestimate the love of a significant other. You failed to consider a certain Prince Charming would come looking for her and lo! He broke the spell."

"Prince or no Prince, the apple should've killed Snow White, not put her to sleep," The Queen bellowed. "Your spell failed!" Her temper shook the foundation beneath them, Maleficent regarded the ground with a lazy glance while her raven squawked in objection to the show power; the air cackled with energy, the Queen zeroed in on Maleficent's figure and raised her arms. The weapons of fallen soldiers from countless wars were ripped from the walls and summoned to her side, a circle of death. With a wave of a wand, she felled her enemies and gathered their weapons for trophies.

How ironic they would be used against her once more. "Truly, I see no need for the show of force," She remarked, narrowing her gaze. "State your business and perhaps we can make some sort of arrangement."

"You know what I want," The Queen grinned.

"Of course. You want the curse," Maleficent smiled back at her 'friend'. "But for something as trifle as a girl who will, in time, wither in age where you will not? You would curse us all for ill-fated retribution against a petty thief, spurred on by the words of an antique mirror. Does your vanity know no bounds?"

"Unfortunately, no," The Queen thrust one arm forward, the spears shot forward in a flash of lightning. Maleficent vanished into the shadows of the throne room, sidestepping the weapons as they came at her. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she raised her staff in objection to the disrespect thrown her way. "Give me the curse, Maleficent and I may consider sparing your life," The Queen sheered at the pair of eyes staring out of the dark at her.

"By all means, consider it, my dearest," The Sorceress said. "However, were you anything but a nuisance in thy eyes, I might take heed of the levity in your words. As it stands-" The Queen watched as the sinister eyes vanished completely from sight, leaving her without a target to aim for. The air curled around her ankles and clawed around her legs, the Queen stared down at the invisible foe in frustration, failing to take notice of the shadow growing over her own.

She turned a moment too late to stop the hulking figure from coming down on her, the wicked Queen cried out in pain as she was pinned to the ground by the stone gargoyle that once sat crouched upon the window high above the throne room. In the background she heard the suspended weapons clatter to the floor. Maleficent stepped out of the shadows with a dramatic flourish, flowing robes increasing her modest size twofold. "-You could not hope to pierce my skin now and live to tell the tale," She finished, slamming her staff onto the ground.

The Queen fought to keep her pulse steady as the sorceress stared down at her with condescension in her eyes. With a mere thought Maleficent could crush her, rob her of her beauty and leave her a decrepit hag for the rest of her days if she was feeling merciful. However, for all her strengths, the desire to achieve her own happiness and ruin the likes of Snow White's, was far greater than any threat, however real it was. "Please," The Queen hissed. "She needs to pay for what's she done."

"And you see no other way to achieve this but to invoke Chernabog's curse?" She inquired darkly. "To do so is sacrif-"

"I know what I have to sacrifice!"

"Truly?"

"Yes," Came the biting response.

Maleficent regarded the fury dancing in her embittered friend's eyes with curious amusement. Bringing her staff forward she began to caress the jade sphere, the Queen watched as the dragon's fire swirled faster and faster inside the sphere with thinly veiled excitement. In a flash of light the small scroll appeared before the sphere, it fluttered slowly down into the Queen's hand.

Finally, she thought, curling her fingers around the aged paper. The gargoyle released her from its grasp, flying back up into the darkness of the throne room. Maleficent raised her staff above her head and the Queen scrambled to her feet. The two stared each other down in an unmatched battle of wills; Maleficent smiled a bittersweet smile as her figure began to fade into the haze of green light. "Have a care, my friend," She said. "It's not everyday one falls into the gracious favor of his majesty, Chernabog. To be sure, your hatred must be of a special brand for it to so readily accept you once more." The Queen expected the sorceress to add insult to injury with a cackle, but she did nothing of the sort. Maleficent kept her gaze steady as she and her raven melted away from sight.

As she left the Forbidden Mountain, the Queen mulled over her words, admiring moonlight reflecting eerily on the scroll in hand.