"I told you it wasn't a good idea to talk to her right now," Vincent solemnly stated when Maleficent returned downstairs.

"I only wanted to speak with her-"

"About the kingdom, she doesn't want,"

"It's hers regardless,"

"I know that!"

"She plans to suppress her powers,"

"But, that's impossible" Miss Grimwood exclaimed, "She'll hurt herself, magic is as natural as breathing!"

"She doesn't see that," Boodika sadly replied, "She's too frightened,"

…...

Upstairs, Christina felt she traded one nightmare for another. A broken mirror is still a mirror and everywhere she looked she saw her reflection, the horns she didn't want. Crawling from the bathroom back to her bedroom where she threw open the balcony doors. As much as she had longed to come home, being changed made her stomach turn and she couldn't handle it. She shot into the sky, a one-way bullet with no intent to stop any time soon. Higher and higher. Hoping to get away from the mess her life was becoming.

Her mentors and family none the wiser.

…...

"What happened here?" Sugie gasped upon entering Christina's room a few hours later, "Careful where you step Shaggy,"

Mirror shards were sprayed across the floor, boxes were overturned and the balcony doors were left open.

"Like, Christina's not in here," Shaggy stated.

"How can you be so sure?" Sugie questioned, cringing at the shattered mirror.

"Her scent's old, she like, hasn't been here for a few hours, can't you tell?"

"Still not used to this, Shaggy," Sugie reminded him, "Where do you think she went?"

"I like, have an idea," he replied, turning to leave.

"Shouldn't we tell-"

"No, come on,"

…...

Fists clenched, body racked with pain, Christina sat on the ground trying her hardest to quell the magic that burned at her fingertips. She didn't want it! Didn't wish to use it and yet, it was fighting her as it never had before!

STOP ALREADY! she internally screamed, GO AWAY!

The smell of smoke met her nose causing her to glance down in horror. Her hands were burning the grass. There was no fire, but the grass was charred black, sizzling still when she removed her hands, holding them in front of her with self-loathing. Her powers were a curse. They caused destruction and unhappiness. Stopping them was becoming more difficult by the second, pain spiraling throughout her body. Something was stirring inside her, putting her on edge and making her sick with fear.

Let me out again

Please just go away!

"Christina,"

Startled, she looked up to see Shaggy emerge from the trees. He stopped directly before her, sat down and reached for her hand but, she pulled away.

"I don't want to hurt you, Shaggy," she whispered tearfully.

"Christina-"

"It's bad, out of control again and I can't stop it!" she sobbed.

She meant her magic, Shaggy knew that and yet, he reached for her hand again, ignoring his sister's tense breathing behind him. Slowly, calmly he grabbed Christina's hand, holding firmly to it when she tried to pull away.

"Shaggy, I-I can't-"

He moved so that he was right beside her, holding to her wrist the entire time before wrapping an arm around her, tracing patterns into her back until she calmed.

"See?" he asked lifting her hand, "You can control it, Christina,"

"Barely"

"Let's get you home now-"

"NO!"

"Okay, okay," Shaggy soothed, "We don't have to go back right now,"

"I don't want to go back,"

"Why?"

"My life's upside down,"

"Like, so is mine,"

"What do you mean?"

"Mom's throwing a fit,"

"Why?"

"I'm blind again," Shaggy calmly replied, "I can like, only see when I'm transformed and Mom doesn't understand even after Clawdeen like, tried to explain it,"

"She'll come around,"

"I hope so," Shaggy nodded, "Now why is your life upside down?"

"The powers I can barely, a grandmother who I hardly know telling me I have to run a kingdom and THESE," Christina growled, guiding Shaggy's hand to her horns, "They won't go away and I have no idea how I got them to begin with as if I wasn't enough of a freak!" she was crying again much to Shaggy's dismay.

"Hey, first of all, you are NOT a freak you are like the most beautiful girl on the earth. Secondly, are the horns really that bad?"

"I want them to go away," Christina grumbled, "I don't want them,"

"I like, seem to recall your Halloween costume featuring horns not too different from these," he traced one with his finger.

"I could get rid of those if I wanted," she reminded him, "I can't get rid of these, I've tried,"

"You don't remember how you like, got them?"

"No,"

"I do," Sugie mumbled.

Christina looked at her for an explanation.

"You um," Sugie began, "were fighting with Drew, he ripped your necklace off and you...transformed,"

"Huh?"

"Into a dragon,"

"I WHAT?" Christina shrieked.

"Christina-" Shaggy tried to reason.

But, Christina didn't hear him, she couldn't over the pounding of her heart. She couldn't remember any of what Sugie told her yet, it had to be the case.

"Christina-" Shaggy tried once more.

Now, she was curled into a ball. The more worked up she became the more frantic it made Shaggy as he tried to regain her attention and help her. It proceeded to get worse and worse until they both transformed. Christina flew off and Shaggy raced after her leaving Scooby and Sugie in the dust

"That could have gone better," Sugie chuckled humorlessly.

…...

"Christina's gone!" Draculaura declared, racing down the stairs, Sibella at her heels.

"Gone?" Dracula repeated worriedly.

"The balcony doors were open but she's gone," Sibella explained.

"Why would she be gone?" Miss Grimwood questioned.

"She's running," Maleficent declared.

"She wouldn't do that," Vincent reasoned, "She's gone to clear her head. She doesn't do well indoors when she's stressed,"

"I think we have more to worry about," Sibella said, shakily pointing out the window.

A large purple dragon flew past.

"The dragon's controlling her," Maleficent darkly observed, "She's spent so many years suppressing it,"

"Vhat do ve do?"

"I don't think we have to worry about that, Dracula,"

Shaggy ran past.

"He'll help her,"

…...

Shaggy, much to his own surprise, had little problem keeping up with Christina. It was getting her to stop that was the issue. Maybe he could cut her off? Then again, she could fly so that wouldn't be effective. He had to get her to stop! Soon or she'd disappear and they'd have to search all over again! Racking his brain for ideas he was thankful when she stopped, just under a large tree, curling around it. Snapping when he neared her, causing him to realize that it wasn't Christina he was facing but the dragon that had been locked inside her all these years. Putting his hands up in surrender he continued to near the much larger creature.

"Please, I don't want to hurt you, I like, just want Christina,"

Snarls and smoke.

"She's scared, she doesn't understand," Shaggy continued, "Like, you can't do this to her, she didn't know about you. You were like, hurting her when you like, should realize she's the one that needs to be in control. She's the one in control, you're just using her fear against her,"

The dragon blinked disappearing, leaving a scared, confused Christina in its place. Shaggy relaxed knowing he'd gotten through, knowing this wouldn't be able to happen again of that he was certain. He rushed to her side, helping her to stand even though tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I think," he said quietly, "That it's time you got home, you need rest,"

even though it was still morning and the day hadn't really begun for Christina she wasn't going to argue, the confusion whirling through her head was enough to make anyone tired. She didn't object when Shaggy picked her up and carried her home, up the stairs and to her bedroom, laying her back onto the bed.

"Like, we'll talk later, okay?"

"Okay," Christina mumbled, shifting to her side, away from the door.

He left closing the door behind him, now calm he reverted back to normal but he walked downstairs without issue.

"How is she?" Maleficent asked when he passed by.

He turned to the adults, he could feel them, Draculaura and, Sibella watching him, awaiting an answer.

"She's scared, you've scared her out of her mind," he replied truthfully, "I like, don't know how things work where you're from but to like, show up here and tell Christina, whose entire life is here, that she needs to come with you and rule a kingdom. That scares her, the horns scare her, knowing she can turn into a dragon scares her," He stepped out to leave adding, "Besides, I wouldn't let you take her away,"

Maleficent turned to the others after Shaggy left, "I didn't intend to scare her. I don't want to push her away,"

"You don't understand her," Sibella mumbled but Maleficent still heard her.

"What don't I understand?"

…...

Draculaura had gone down for a nap Christina had already had hers so she was lonely. Aunt Vana was napping and Uncle Dracula was working so Christina was resigned to the family room where a movie had been put in. One of her favorite movies. She happily plopped down on the couch to watch it

sometime later when Dracula poked his head in to check on her he found the entire room dripping in a magic makeover. Instead of the cozy family room, Dracula found the gold ballroom from Beauty and The Beast. Christina sat in the center of the floor her eyes never leaving the screen in front of her as she hummed the song. She had done this. Her powers had surfaced and it looked like she wasn't even aware of what she'd done yet! The dark magic sparkles of her occasionally fluttering wings had filled the room and affected the transformation according to the sparkles of wonder in her eyes as she watched Belle and the Beast dance together on-screen.

He was silently thankful she'd grown out of her Sleeping Beauty obsession or he might have walked in on something a lot worse.

"Vhat are you looking at, My Love?", Vana asked from behind him.

"Shh!", he urged softly, then motioned her to come closer. He pointed inside wordlessly, and she looked. She had to stifle a gasp of awed surprise.

"She's just as powerful as her mother vas," Vana whispered.

Dracula nodded.

"Vhat do we do?"

"Ve vait,"

Only when the scene ended did Christina look away from the screen gasping as she did so.

"Pretty. Pretty," Christina giggled before spotting her aunt and uncle in the doorway. The shock of seeing them caused a ripple effect reversing the magic that'd she had cast.

"Am I in trouble?"

Dracula didn't respond instead, he picked up his trembling niece, "You aren't in trouble," he finally whispered when she started to cry.

Vana returned with a long slender box that she gave to Christina,. The young girl confusedly lifted the lid and stared at the object inside.

"It's a wand, your wand, Christina,"

"Mine?"

"From your Mommy,"

"But where is Mommy?"

…...

A few weeks later:

Christina was not having the best of days. This magic, her magic scared her. With a simple thought, she could affect things without meaning to. She couldn't control when it happened. Today had not been kind to her. It started with wanting chocolate milk and just got worse. Her clothes, she changed them, wishing those around her would stop, they froze. If she wanted quiet those around her lost their voices. Now, she sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, trying to calm herself while she watched Anastasia. This movie often cheered her up. She laughed at Anya and Dimitri who bickered like children, giggled at Bartok the bat's antics, knew the words to every song. If the movie had one downside it was the villain. Rasputin. She wasn't scared of him, he had plenty of funny moments he was just unnerving a literal corpse falling to pieces. The way he snuck into Anya's dreams, trying to kill her. It wasn't pleasant.

He was onscreen now, ranting and raving making Christina roll her eyes.

Vana poked her head in around this time, seeing Christina so absorbed in the movie that was on the TV. It made her smile. Careful not to make any noise, Vana crept behind the couch.

Christina screamed as someone grabbed her shoulders, blood running cold at the scream that joined hers. Spinning around she saw the source. Aunt Vana was on fire. The fire was her doing she realized. She'd hurt her.

…...

"It's happening again, Daddy,"

Dracula quickly followed his five-year-old daughter to Christina's bedroom. He'd bought her a little TV of her own so if she accidentally gave the room a magic makeover no one would get hurt or be caught up in it. Entering her room now he wasn't surprised to find it had been transformed again. This time into a sun-filled forest with fuzzy animals scampering about. Although Christina was slowly getting a handle on her powers these magic makeovers were still a common thing. Something which Draculaura clearly enjoyed as she ran off to chase the rabbits while Christina remained glued to the TV screen completely unaware of what she was doing.

When the scene ended Christina finally turned away from the screen gasping in surprise at what she had done to her bedroom. Seeing her Uncle in the doorway was enough to reverse what had happened before Christina promptly burst into tears.

"I-I didn't mean to!" she cried, "I'm sorry,"

She stood from the floor and threw herself into her nearby bed. Draculaura followed her climbing onto the bed beside her and patting her arm.

Dracula soon joined them, pulling Christina onto his lap as she continued to sob.

"I-I can't help it," she cried, "Too much-too much,"

"You're still learning, Sweetheart. It's okay," Dracula promised.

"Too much,"

…...

The more her powers grew so did her fear of them. Even after Dracula enlisted the help of Miss Grimwood, Vincent and, Boodika who all tried their utmost to teach her. One simple movement would spark her magic. A mere thought would cause a chain reaction.

It scared her.

Dracula clung tightly to his still sobbing niece. Her powers were growing and she didn't like it. Several minutes earlier the dining room table had been on fire. She'd been unhappy and when she slammed her hands down she set the table ablaze. Her powers caused mayhem and destruction. Why? Why was she cursed?

"It's okay, Christina, it's okay, you're learning," Dracula soothed,

"I don't want them! They're scary!" she cried, "Take them away,"

"I can't Christina, it isn't possible,"

"No! NO! I don't want magic!"

"I'm sorry, Christina,"

…...

Maleficent opened the door quietly under the assumption that Christina was asleep only to find this wasn't the case. The shattered glass had been swept aside, balcony doors closed and cloth now covered every reflective surface. Christina lay with her back to Maleficent, weeping quietly.

"Christina,"

"Go away," the teen mumbled, "I told you, I don't want to rule a kingdom,"

But, Maleficent refused to go, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I only wish to talk,"

Christina didn't respond.

"I know I've scared you, I'm sorry about that,"

The tears although quiet continued to flow.

"Won't you at least look at me?"

Begrudgingly, Christina sat up, flinching away when Maleficent reached out to touch her. Hand falling to her side, Maleficent continued, "I know I've put a lot on you in the short time you've known me and for that, I apologize, you are first and foremost my granddaughter, my family."

Still, Christina was silent, guarded. Scared.

"And, if you'd let me, I wish to help you with your magic, show you it's not something to be feared,"

"It causes trouble," Christina hissed, "I don't want it,"

"You just don't understand your powers. They can do many beautiful things if you understood them,"

"You cursed an infant," Christina said stubbornly, arms folded across her chest, "How is that beautiful?"

"The fairy tale, as written in the Storybook of Legends neglects the greater truth", Maleficent sighed ruefully. "I did not curse Aurora because I was not invited to her royally presentation to the kingdom. I cursed her to punish her father for how deeply he wronged me and your mother."

"What do you mean?", she asked dubiously.

"I had hoped to explain this part at a later date, given your reactions earlier, But I suppose there is no avoiding it any longer", she replied. "Long ago, I sought the hand of Oberon, Lord of the Fae. But he chose my childhood friend Titania to be his Queen. It was his rejection that turned me Dark. He granted me rule over the Dark Fae and arranged a fae marriage for me so I could produce heirs. Your Aunt Lucinda was born of that, and she ALONE. Your mother had a different father, one who I'd loved with all my heart. Alissa was conceived of my true love."

"What does that have to do with it?", Christina asked.

"Your grandfather was Human. The first human to show me respect and admiration, and he was quite handsome. I grew to love him with all my heart. We spent one glorious night together under the full moon. When I awoke in the morning, I could feel the spark of life within me, and immediately loved our child. I turned to tell my lover of our joy, but he was gone...as were my glorious wings", Maleficent said, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. "Though I gave him my heart, he didn't really love me. It had all been a lie to get close enough to me to take my wings in the hope of breaking my hold and protection of my kingdom and win the hand of a would-be conquering king's daughter so he could become a king himself. His name...was Steffan."

Christina gasped as the implication set in. King Steffan was the father of Aurora! That means...!

"Lucinda does not know this", Maleficent told her. "She was angry enough that I always favored Alissa over her in her eyes and that Alissa was born with the dragonmark. Had she known her little sister was born of true love in my heart...? Well, you can imagine."

Quietly Christina worked to process what she had been told. Maleficent's true motivations for doing such an evil thing. While she didn't condone it she understood, though the logic seemed skewed and, she understood she'd been told something very few knew about.

Even with this understanding she still tensed when Maleficent laid a hand on her arm, she didn't pull away, relaxing after a moment" despite the tears that still rolled down her cheeks.

"Please, Christina, let me teach you,"

"So I can rule a kingdom."

"You don't have to rule, not until you're both of age and ready,"

"I'd still have to leave, my family, my friends," she choked.

"You don't ever have to give up anyone you love", Maleficent assured the crying girl. "As Queen, you would have the power to travel the realms at will and with ease. The normal limits of the portals do not apply to such as we, my dear."

After a tense silence, Christina finally spoke.

"I'll think about it,"

…...

Returning home, Shaggy, Sugie, and, Scooby found Fred and the girls waiting for them.

"You found her?" Daphne asked softly while Shaggy sat down.

"Brought her home last night," Shaggy nodded.

"How is she?" Fred dared to ask.

"Shaken,"

Silence fell over the group.

"Thanks for the lead," Sugie finally said.

"And the map," Shaggy added, "That castle, like, didn't want to be found,"

"No problem,"

"Can we start over?" Velma finally pleaded.

"yes," Shaggy nodded, "We can,"

…...

Shaggy returned to the castle later to check-in on Christina and to discuss their relationship, however nervous that made him.

"Christina," he knocked softly on her bedroom door.

"Hi, Shaggy, come in," Christina greeted, now calmed down.

The two sat down on her bed, Shaggy grabbing onto her hands as he always did.

"Feel better?" he whispered.

"Much,"

"That's good," he nodded, "Draculaura told me you like, managed to have a civil conversation with Maleficent,"

"I did," Christina sighed as Shaggy slipped his arm around her.

"What is it? What's the matter?"

"Whoa," Christina giggled, "Calm down,"

"Well, what are you like, not telling me?"

"She wants to teach me how to control my magic,"

"And what did you say?"

"I'd think about it,"

"Have you?"

"Still thinking,"

Shaggy chuckled before becoming serious, "Christina?"

"Yes?"

"I wanted to talk about us,"

"What about us?"

"Where do we go from here?"

"There's nowhere to really go except eventual marriage, you imprinted on me and whether you remember it or not, repeatedly referred to me as your mate during your rampage,"

Shaggy flushed red, embarrassed but at the same time, he was...proud? He knew it was right. Christina brought him back to reality with a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, Shaggy,"

"I love you more, Christina,"

and he kissed her to prove it.

…...

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER:

"Hi, Shaggy,"

"When do you come home, Christina?"

"Soon, very, very soon," Christina giggled, tapping the mirror with a grin, "Are you ready or did I pull my keyboard out for nothing?"

"No, I'm ready but can we play the lullaby again?"

"I was thinking," she said slyly, "That we could do something else,"

Before Shaggy could ask what she meant the ground dropped out from under him, only for a moment, however as he was steadied

"It worked!" Christina cried throwing her arms around her very surprised and just as happy boyfriend.

"Like, you've been learning," he smiled.

"Grandmother says I'm a fast learner," Christina nodded eagerly, "Ready for your piano lesson?"

"I'd rather stay like this," Shaggy whispered, holding Christina tightly.

"Whatever you want," she smiled.

The two fell to the floor, neither minding much. Too content to really care.

"Marry me?" Shaggy pleaded, "Please, marry me,"

"Yes"

THE END.

…...

NO SEQUEL NO SERIES!

A role-reversal? In a few months maybe.

As always a big thank you goes to my friend, DRAGONDAVE45 for his help and support.

Please, review!