Marcus walked with heavy tread through his gardens, eyes roaming the plant life around. He saw life and beauty, glowing in the afternoon sunset, but saw none of what he was trying so desperately to see again. He knew, he was certain, that life flitted around him unseen, and frustration mounted every time he reached for a connection that could not be found. He walked slowly to the orchard. Reaching up he plucked an apple from a low hanging bush, and settled against the trunk of the tree to rest.
He would never admit it to the others, but constantly reaching for his magic was exhausting him, in a way far deeper than physical but just as limiting. He let his head fall back against the tree trunk, let his eyes fall close. He listened to the sound of wind rustling branch around him, and to its comforting sound he allowed himself to doze.
A nymph hopped on a branch above, chattering to the fairies below. It scampered down the tree and perched questioningly beside its king. Others joined him there, rose fairy and tree nymph and every magical creature as they each gathered around. Their song began, as it had done every night, floating unheard through the castle. Their magic danced and swirled around him, healing him, slowly strengthening him. It was a slow, long process and they could give so little. Marcus's magic had to return on its own. But they could help, and each did so. Little hands clasped as his sleeve, a nymph curled tightly on his shoulder, wanting more than anything to help its king as it sang for the woman locked in a sleep high in the castle above.
The sun dipped as Marcus slept on, when abruptly he woke.

The sky was warm with sunset, and Marcus shook himself, not having meant to have slept so long. He pressed up, rolling his neck, and discovered the apple that still lay by his side. He had slept through dinner, and he raised it still half asleep to take a bite.
The fairy on it screamed and flitted away and Marcus dropped the apple in alarm.
"Apologies, I didn't see you the-"
He froze, staring at the fairy that winked back at him in ruffled indignation. His eyes turned and he took in the gardens, the air, thick with fairie-light. He scrambled to his feet, snatching up the apple, turning in place. His magic, he could feel it flowing deep within, warming his blood, pounding in his heart. His eyes landed on the castle, fixed on Aurora's window.
He was running, sprinting through the garden, back through his palace door. Belle spotted him, cried out to see what was wrong. She had certainly never seen him like this before, but he just waved at her and kept running.
He broke through Aurora's doorway and came to a stop. Every inch of the bed she wasn't laying in was covered with fairie-life and nymph. Most curled up and purring softly.
"You're not allowed in here."
There was no malice in the words, he felt almost giddy, and he watched them all start awake. They realized he could see them, began chattered all at once, leaping and spinning and darting through the air. Marcus laughed, unable to not, coming forward and they all quickly parted, leaving a path to the sleeping Aurora.
He knelt beside her bed, lay a hand gently on her cheek. The apple was still there in his hand, and he raised it, it would work as good as anything. The words flowed quickly, a buzz filled the room as the fairie heard them and fairly vibrated in place with excitement. A light flowed, swirling up from Aurora, quietly filling the apple he held. It seemed too simple a thing, that a curse so dark could be pulled into something so inane, but then she stirred. Her brow furrowed and he eyes began to flutter.
Marcus let the apple fall as her eyes opened.
"Marcus?" she whispered in heavy confusion, looking around, "Oh hello everyone." She said to the fairies and nymphs around. They all seemed frozen in place, just as Marcus was, held by a cautious shock as if afraid to move.
"Marcus?" she asked again, sitting up. He was staring at her so intently, amazement and relief written in his expression. "I had the strangest dream," she muttered, hand going to her head. "There was this beast,"
"It wasn't a dream," His voice was low and strangely broken. She watched in amazement as a single tear slipped from his eye. "I'm so sorry, Aurora, I never meant to hurt you."
Her eyes widened at his strangled whisper, "It was you!" she gasped, "I knew it was you, oh thank goodness you're alright!"
She fairly lunged at him in relief, arms closing around him as her own tears fell onto his shoulder. She could feel slight tremors passing though him as his arms pulled her close.
"What happened?" she asked, pulling back a little to stare in wonder at his face. She lifted a hand to trace his jaw, skin pale against his own, "The last time I saw you, you were..." she shook her head, hiding her face in his chest again, "I was so frightened. What happened?"
There came a gasp from the door, and they looked up to see Belle standing there. She had followed the king in alarm, and now she burst forward, and closed Aurora in a frightfully exuberant hug.
"I see you two have met," Marcus muttered, forced aside by the brunette as she took the place beside Aurora on the bed.
"Thank goodness you're awake!" she turned to Marcus, "Does this mean your magic is back?"
"Your magic was gone?" Aurora gasped, looking at him in alarm. The fairie began chattering, all trying to tell her what she had missed at once. Marcus raised a hand, his eyes flashing,
"Enough!"
Belle stopped talking abruptly as the chatter ceased, frowning at Marcus.
"He wasn't talking to you," Aurora leaned over and spoke lowly,
"Then who..."
"Aurora?" They turned to the door where Philip gawked, "Was no one going to tell me she was awake!" he asked, torn between indignation and overjoyed as Aurora leapt up from the bed and ran to her brother.
"Philip!" She hugged him tightly, laughing, as he spun her around. He set her down, fairly beaming with smiles.
"Whew, that was a lot easier to do when you were younger." She swatted his arm, tears falling with her laughter, as Philp stood grinning unrepentantly.
"What happened?" he demanded, "How are you up?"
"Marcus woke me," she spun across the room to him, taking his arm, smiling her gratitude up at him. He looked down, smile so warm Belle had to look away or cry.
"Your magic is back?" Philip asked, and Aurora turned to the room in general.
"Someone has to tell me what's going on."


Some hours later they were still huddled around the kitchen table like children, Betty only too happy to bring them treats and pastries, overjoyed that the girl had awoken, and that light had returned to her master's eye.
They had gone ever every detail time and again, interrupting each other and correcting each other over the tiniest thing. Snow was safe, Ariel was a mermaid, Eric lived in the sea, Aurora took it all in in wonder.
She sat between Belle and Philip, her brother determined to tell her what had happened as ridiculously as possible, as if he enjoyed making Belle interrupt to correct him. Still the basic truth would have been impossible to believe if she had not spent years in an enchanted wood, and could even now see the nymphs huddled by doors and windows, watching them. They stayed out of Betty's kitchen, and she wondered if what Marcus had shared once, that he suspected Betty knew of the magic, was true, and that she had ordered the little things out for her peace of mind. It seemed like something the woman would do.
"You really knew it was me?"
Marcus's voice came suddenly. He had been mostly silent, just watching her, a soft smile fixed naturally on his expression. Aurora found herself blushing when she met his gaze.
"Yes," she answered simply, and Belle looked between them, grinning almost smugly. Philip scowled,
"Knew what?" he asked.
"That he was the beast." Belle explained.
"How?" Marcus asked only Aurora. She smiled as if shyly.
"Your eyes. I saw them flash when I touched the rose." She saw his brow dip, the regret in his eyes, knew he was thinking about what he had almost done.
"What do you mean 'flash'?" Philip demanded, and even Belle was curious. Marcus had never used his magic in front of her.
Marcus's gaze met Aurora's and she swore he winked, before suddenly grinning fiercely. She watched the light of magic build within.
Belle and Philip saw the smile, when his eyes suddenly filled with a sharp, animalistic light and his frame shifted slightly with sinister edge.
Philip cursed in surprise and jumped back from the table a little, even Belle gasped, startled.
It faded slowly and they both stared at him.
"Do me a favor," Philip said, his elbows returning to the table as he retook his seat, "Never do that again."


It grew late, Betty having bid them goodnight some time before when finally they stood. Philip hugged Aurora tightly, "Get some sleep, sis, just uh, promise you'll wake up this time?"
He meant it as a joke, but Aurora knew her brother. He wore so much on his sleeve so that people couldn't tell what was really inside. She smiled at his concern, "Promise,"
Belle hurried Philip along so that she could hug Aurora goodnight, "He's right, for once, do wake in the morning." she smiled and followed Philip from the kitchen to her room.
Marcus and Aurora stood alone in the shadowed kitchen. Aurora yawned, hiding it behind her hand, "I shouldn't be tired," she stretched a little, "Not with how much I've slept lately."
She smiled at him, and he returned her look with that same gentle smile he had watched her with all evening.
"Are you too tired for a walk?" he asked, but gently, not wanting her to overdo it, but she shook her head eagerly.
"A walk sounds lovely."
She followed him from the kitchen, down the hall, walking a little shyly just beside. The last time she had seen him he had been a beast bent on killing her, the time before that they had danced in perfect fairy light. It left her reeling, and she was suddenly unsure of how to be around him. She didn't know, as they walked, that his thoughts spun a similar path, but they were stuck on their last moments, how frightened she must have been, wondering if some part of her would be frightened now.
They reached the gardens and Aurora's stepped quickened. She gazed eagerly at the fairies as they spun in the starlight, the nymphs as they tended each plant. It was blissfully familiar, yet different still. The air was colder, the seasons more in line out here away from the wood, and the fairy life about her was not the ones she knew so well. There were some she recognized, but many she didn't, and she said as much to Marcus as he stood a pace behind, watching her.
"The fairie you knew belong in the enchanted wood. Many can't leave, those who can don't wish to. The one's you see here," he waved his hands around the gardens, "Are here only for you. I suspect they've been here all along, though I couldn't seem them."
She looked back at him, questions in her eyes, "It doesn't... harm them to be away from their home does it?"
Marcus shook his head, "They're just less comfortable, less at ease. Thier magic may be a little weaker, but not enough to hurt them."
Aurora looked back at the gardens. She took a step closer, speaking lowly in the language of the fairie, and Marcus listened, heart swelling as she addressed the creatures of his kingdom with such care. She told them that it was alright, that she was safe, and they should go home. That, she cast a glance his way, she would visit them all soon. He smiled a little, nodded, and watched the fairy wink.
One by one they flitted up to Aurora, chattered a farewell, and turned to make their way home. Aurora turned to him after the last had left, smiling sleepily.
"You should get some rest," he lifted a hand as if to brush her cheek, but hesitated.
"Marcus?" she asked softly, and he frowned a little as he turned away.
He sighed, and raked a hand through his hair. "I was a monster, Aurora, I tried to kill you. If you were afraid of me, I would understand."
His words were even, careful, but his tone held that slight unsteady edge that stirred something her. She came forward, reaching out a hand to turn him to face her.
"I'm not afraid, Marcus. I'm just glad you're safe." She squeezed his hand gently before stepping forward and laying her head against his chest. He hesitated only a moment before closing her in his arms. She settled closer, breath deepening, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, and closed her eyes. She heard faintly a song begin, and lifting her face she laughed up in the fairy light as the music faintly swelled.
His hand raised to caress her cheek, his eyes searched the stars that reflected in her eyes. He had let his connection to the magic fall, but now his eyes flashed and Aurora shivered as the music filled his senses. He smiled then, before lowering his forehead to hers.

Aurora did not wait for him to ask before pressing up on tiptoe and letting her lips touch his own.