As winter melted into spring Aurora's visits to the Moors became less frequent but more predictable with somewhat longer stays with her curiosity seeming to grow alongside the Flora that had once again began to fill the Moors.

As for Maleficent herself, she found it becoming increasingly easy to spend time with the girl—not that she would ever admit to that detail.

"It's Friday. Think the fledgling will be here?"

Diaval asked, breaking the faerie from her thoughts.

"Probably."

She responded, sighing as she stood.

"You know, the little beast never did tell me where she was climbing through at."

She added, earning a crooked grin from Diaval.

"Evidently even humans have their charms and secrets."

Maleficent just scoffed at that and rolled her eyes.

"Or the little beast is recklessly driven by nature into dangerous situations."

As if to prove the faerie's point a yelp echoed from the direction toward the barrier.

"Told you.".

❇️

Aurora grumbled to herself as she examined the large rip in her jacket, along with the blood that slowly leaked from her arm.

"So that's where you have been coming from."

The voice of Maleficent caused her to blush.

"yeah well I can't always depend on you to let me in."

She muttered, wincing slightly as a golden magic encircled her.

"Oh calm down, it's not as though I'm going to turn you into a toad."

Maleficent commented, prompting her to look up in time to watch the dress knit itself together.

"Thank you."

Aurora managed, still slightly embarrassed by the fact she had managed to get hurt after coming through the same way so many times.

The walk through the Moors was uneventful, although Aurora found herself getting lost in the beauty of the enchanted lands.

"Where are we going today, Godmother?"

The nickname—that had started as a joke brought on by Maleficent's insistence on calling her Beasty—now came almost naturally.

"Perhaps a proper introduction to the Fae along the waterways. You do remember the Wallerbogs, don't you?"

Aurora couldn't help but send the woman a dirty look at that.

"You mean the ones you put up to give me a mud bath?"

Maleficent didn't seem phased by the accusation.

" How dare you accuse me of such a thing."

" Don't even dare try to play innocent, Diaval told me. " Aurora retorted, watching as one corner of the woman's lips quirked upward.

"Did he now? Nosy bird."

❇️

Maleficent watched with amusement as Aurora joined the Wallerbogs game, the laughter seeming to echoing through the trees as she ended up covered head to toe in muck.

It was so like watching the Fae children at play, so much in fact that Maleficent found herself wondering just how something as innocent as Aurora could be related to Stefan.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't have time to react with something wet and sticky hurled straight into her face.

She could hear laughter coming from both Aurora and Diaval, as Wells stark silence and nervous murmurs as she wiped at her face.

"Oh very funny."

She grumbled, sending a wave of magic toward the muddy banks, sending a blast of it right into Diaval.

She then turned to Aurora who seemed to ooze amusement at the whole exchange, though she just winked toward the teen.

"You play, I am going to go clean off...and feel free to drag Diaval into it as well. He has been rather annoying today."