Aurora knew she was in trouble long before the large tree she called home came into view.

Truth be told, she'd known the minute she'd lost Diaval and headed for the forest.

The green mist emanating from the tree only confirmed her fears, and for a moment, she retreated back towards the Pool of Jewels, not quite ready to face her Godmother's wrath.

Had it been worth it?

Her aunties had been reluctant at first, but she was persistent, and eventually they'd told her everything they knew – about Maleficent's relationship with her father, how he had stolen her wings, how she had cursed his baby daughter in return...

It was certainly information that Maleficent was never forthcoming with.

She only hoped she hadn't gotten Diaval into trouble too.

Standing at the edge of the water, Aurora peered in at her own reflection. It was dark, but the purple fireflies lit up the water's surface enough for her to know that she'd looked better. She had dirt on her face, and a scratch courtesy of a rogue thorn bush – the remnants of which were still tangled within her hair.

Aurora had no idea what time it was, but she knew she'd have been expected back at the nest hours ago.

Swallowing hard, she made her way back.

Maleficent was pacing – she could hear as much before she began to climb.

"Mistress, maybe I should have another fly round..." Diaval's voice.

"To what end? You said it yourself, if she's in the forest you'll have no means to see her from the sky," Maleficent snapped, her voice dangerous.

"Well then I could go on foot-"

"You've done enough. I trusted you to take care of her!" her Godmother cried.

"With all due respect Mistress, she's not a baby anymore. I tried to go after her but she was too quick. If Aurora sets her mind to something, there's no stopping her," Diaval told her. "Can't think where she gets it from."

He was brave, Aurora thought. Or just plain stupid.

"If anything has happened to her, I shall hold you personally responsible," came the reply.

"I'm sure she's fine-"

"Oh, you are, are you? Allow me to remind you what happened last time she disappeared!" Maleficent snapped.

"She wouldn't leave the moors again. She promised," he reasoned.

"Promises can be broken, Diaval."

Reaching the nest, Aurora poked her head over, deciding it was probably best to assess the situation a bit more before climbing into the lion's den.

It was clear neither of them had noticed her presence – Maleficent continuing to pace, and Diaval with his eyes trained to the ground.

"Hello Godmother," she said, softly.

Maleficent turned to look at her, but the sight of the girl did nothing to abate the emerald green glow in her eyes.

She was really angry, this time.

Offering her a hand, Diaval helped Aurora clamber up into the nest.

Standing up straight, she made a hopeless attempt at straightening her hair, glancing sheepishly at the fairy.

Maleficent gave her the once over with her eyes, as if checking for any signs of lasting damage.

"I... I'm..." Aurora started.

But Maleficent turned to Diaval, cutting her dead.

"I have borders to check. Stay here and try harder than you did last time not to lose her," she said.

"Godmother," Aurora began, moving towards her.

Without so much as a second glance, Maleficent took off in to the air, the rush of air created by her wings nearly knocking the girl clean out of the nest.

"Godmother!" Aurora cried, stumbling back to her feet. "Fairy Godmother!"

"Leave her," Diaval said softly. "No good ever came of trying to reason with her whilst she's angry."

Ω Ω Ω Ω

Maleficent did not return as the hours passed.

Having finally managed to detangle the twigs from her hair, Aurora lay wide awake in the nest, counting the stars in the night sky in a bid to drift off to sleep.

The way Diaval tossed and turned told her that he was no more asleep than she was.

"She hates me, doesn't she?" she whispered eventually, finally giving up on her Godmother returning that night.

"No, sweetheart. She loves you. That's why she's so angry," he told her.

A pause.

"Did you get the answers you wanted?" he asked.

"I think so," she murmured. "I mean... not that I wanted. But that I needed. I needed to know the truth. Even if it wasn't what I... I didn't know that she and my father..."

"She doesn't like to talk about it," Diaval told her.

"Is it true that he took her wings so he could become king?" she asked.

"So the story goes."

"I don't blame her for cursing me," Aurora told him, sudden angry tears pricking at her eyes. "I deserved it, being related to him."

"Aurora, that's not–"

"She trusted him. She trusted him, and he betrayed her," the girl said, sitting up. "How could he do that to her?"

Diaval sighed. "Sometimes they do things that others can't comprehend."

"They? Humans, you mean?"

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"I'm one of them, aren't I? What if I'm like him?" Aurora asked, pulling her knees to her and hiding her face.

"No."

"But he's my father. I have his blood, I must be like him in some way," she said, horrified at the thought.

Diaval shook his head firmly. "You are nothing like him."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've known you your whole life," he reminded her, moving to sit beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "You might have his blood, Aurora, but that's where it ends. He stole Maleficent's wings to get a claim on the throne. You gave her wings back to her. And you turned away from the throne to be here with her. You're polar opposites."

Aurora wiped at her tears, half-convinced. "I still don't know how she can look at me without being reminded of him."

"Because she loves you as if you were her own," Diaval told her. "Nothing else matters."

Aurora's eyes searched the sky again, perhaps not counting stars after all, and she let out a sigh.

"Then where is she, Diaval?"

Ω Ω Ω Ω