Hi again, and Happy Friday! At least, it's Friday here in Japan. Hope everyone reading this is doing well and had a good week. I'm headed to Osaka and am sitting on the bullet train which takes forever, so I have more than enough time to do some writing. I edited my last chapter a bit and added a few breaks, thanks to WargishBoromirFan. I appreciate the advice! Honestly, I will probably be editing and re-editing all my chapters from now till the day Christ comes back, since I am really OCD about my writing and I want it to be on point. Anyway, I present Chapter 2 of my story. Again, the characters are not mine...well, except for the OC. I created him, but Aurora, her "mystery man" we all know to be Prince Phillip, Maleficent, and the three fairies are not mine. Enjoy!


I sneak through the forest, climbing the tallest tree I can find, hoping that my hiding spot will conceal me until tonight.

Part of me hates to do this to my aunts, but they shocked me when they told me that I am a - a princess! Of all that I could be in the world, I am a princess! And they tell me just now! The day before I am to return home…and the very day I meet the man with whom I would rather be engaged to marry.

And they expect me to marry a man I have never even met! My mother and father should have thought this through before sending me away to be raised by three women who are definitely not my parents.

Well…my aunts did mention something about a curse and a witch, but still…I wish they had told me. I wish they had raised me up so that I knew the truth as opposed to believing I am something I am not, until the day before I return to my true home - to the castle I never knew was mine.

"Just a little longer, my mystery man," I whisper, settling in to my perch on one of the highest branches. I feel my eyelids grow heavy, and soon I drift away in a slumber.

*

I wake up in a tree and the first thing I think is, "Oh, I sleep in trees now. This is nice." Then I remember it is almost time to see…him. I sit up and notice the sky darkening, the rosy pink and bright orange colors of the sunset quickly fading into a deep blue. I begin to climb down, but then I spot movement. It must be him! But I look closer, and it is…no, that is more of a woman's silhouette. She appears to be cloaked in a dark hood, and she stands tall and proud as though not even attempting to sneak about - the way I crept out when I left, I think guiltily.

With her are - dogs, maybe? I cannot tell; it is too dark and too far below. I see her looking around, then she glances back at her dogs. Then they turn the doorknob and enter the cottage. Wait, her dogs open doors? How odd.

And she lets herself in without an invitation! She simply walks into my home as though it is hers! Well, it isn't my home anymore, but as mad as I am at my aunts right now, I still care for them and wish them no harm. They did raise me and care for me for so many years and were the only parents I ever knew.

As soon as they disappear inside I shimmy down from the tree as fast as I can. I am sure my aunts are somewhere out in the forest or elsewhere, searching for me. But I must warn my mystery man, for he will not know there are intruders inside, and I cannot see him harmed.

As soon as I think this, I freeze. I see him – I see my mystery man.

And he is heading straight towards the cottage.

He strides towards the door, his cloak trailing behind him. His horse is a magnificent animal, but it seems to sense the danger that its owner cannot, as it keeps nudging him in the back. My mystery man shoos away the horse and readies himself to knock, but I slip behind a nearby bush and hiss in his direction, attempting to gain his attention.

"Psst! Psst!" After a moment he turns his head about, and then he sees me. HIs eyes light up to my delight, but then he frowns as I fervently motion for him to join me. He bends down behind the bush, humoring me.

"My lady! It is wonderful to see you again. But…why are you hiding behind a bush?"

"Shh…she might hear you. There is someone inside my cottage…someone who isn't supposed to be there, and I am not going to sit here and let you or my aunts get hurt because of it."

"Let me investigate."

I grab hold of his collar, sending him reeling back down beside me. "Don't. That person might be dangerous. Armed, or - or something."

He smirks. "Or something?"

"Excuse me, sir, but I am not an idiot! I know that there is dark magic out in the world. I am not deaf; I hear my aunts when they stay up late chatting about it. I think it would be better if we scout the area around the forest first, to search for my aunts, and then get out of here before they return and –"

"I will be fine, my lady, but I thank you for your concern." Without another word he stands and rushes away silently and quickly, before I can grab him again. He disappears behind the corner of the cottage and all is silent. Too silent.

After several moments I grow tired of waiting, and I begin to worry. Finally, after debating with myself, I decide to leave the cover of the underbrush, ducking to reach one of the windows at the cottage in order to have a better view of what is going on inside.

And it is far worse than I could have imagined.

The intruder is a monster - some terrible figure that looks like a graceful woman, but she is far too tall to be a mortal. Also, she has horns.

Last time I checked, most mortal women do not have horns.

They are the color of a raven's feathers, and her hood and cloak seem to be made of the blackest shadows. Her skin is a sickly pale tint, and she has a ghastly, gloating smile on her face.

Her "dogs," as I previously believed them to be, look like trolls and gargoyles - each creature a horrid blend of goat, hog, bat, and other animals all rolled in to one. There are so many of them, and they are all inside the home in which I was raised...Each of them surrounds a lifeless-looking figure lying on the ground. The creatures keep poking, prodding, and jeering at it.

I gasp as I realize just who that figure is.

The intruders have my mystery man. And now the creatures have seen me, and are rushing towards me, swarming to make me as lifeless as the man I love.

I turn and run, screaming at the top of my lungs.

"Mystery Man, if you are still with me, I will come back for you." As a matter of fact…

I duck suddenly, veering off to the left in order to hop into the cottage once more, which confused the brains out of the creatures chasing after me. By this time, almost all have already piled out of the window and door, and now are staring after me, scratching their heads with their hands, hooves or…whatever other appendages they have, but I would rather not dwell on that – as though wondering, "This girl just escaped, and now she is going back inside? Why would she do a mad thing like that?"

But I could never leave the boy I think I might love – or, at least, the boy I could possibly love.

There is only one problem, however: I have been so focused on reaching Mystery Man's side that I completely forgot the existence of the other intruder: the tall, old woman with horns on her head. And she is now staring down at me with sick pleasure. Then I notice a detail I had somehow missed earlier: just one step behind her stands another figure, that of a lean and strong man, but he is drenched in shadows so I cannot see a face. How did I miss his entrance earlier? It doesn't matter. But I know this shadowy figure must be as horrid as the woman.

"Well, well. What a shocking turn of events, to actually find you here! If you had known we were to arrive, why wouldn't you be long gone? Why stay, and even come back to the danger, if you could get away so easily, dear one? Oh, that's right…" She breaks off with a mocking chuckle. "…True love. Ha! Well, that will be broken easily enough, won't it darling?"

She motions forward, and the figure draws near, stepping into the dim moonlight, and I do the unthinkable.

As soon as I see his face, I forget all about my mystery boy.

His face is pale and angled to perfection. He has horns just like those of the witch's, adding to his great height and making him appear even more formidable. He also has pointed ears, similar to the elves my aunts used to tell me about when I was younger. The boy wears a knee-length black jacket with pale, sewn-in floral designs swirling around the collar.

And those dark eyes...they draw me in, deep and piercing, as though he can see through to my soul. He has a sort of grace about him as well. I did not notice before, but the witch also carries herself with the same sort of refined grace, as though the two are royalty.

But then I latch on to what she just said about true love being broken and I begin to panic.

"Wait…what did you just say?"

"I said that I am going to take away your love for the boy, and his love for you. Well, it will still be there, I suppose. That pesky emotion cannot be undone by one even so powerful as I…but I can take away your memories of each other. And honestly, that is even more exciting." She strokes the thin staff she carries, her long fingernails tapping the clear, crystal orb on the tip.

I keep glancing back and forth between the witch and the boy who looks just like her.

His ebony hair seems to move on its own and I can't stop watching it, for this is the first time that I have ever seen magic. He then catches me staring and gives me a small smirk before his expression fades into a blank mask.

"What have I ever done to you? And who are you?" I ask the witch, seething by my mystery man's side.

At my words she laughs, a high-pitched and cold sound. "Ah, dearie, this is too good. So they did not tell you, did they? Oh, the irony." She settles down, wiping a tear from her eye. "At any rate, I do not have to tell you; in fact, I would rather you go the rest of your life wondering who you are and why I sought my revenge for so many years. And when you look back and remember this moment, know that it was Maleficent, the greatest sorceress of all time, who did this to you. And then, when you are at your lowest point, I will come and deliver the final blow with only the tip of a spinning wheel's spindle."

"You are insane!" I cry. "Just let us go; we will not do anything to you. Just let this anger go, I beg you. We just want to be together."

"Ah, she begs!" Maleficent exclaims, a wolfish grin displaying across her face. "I had so hoped you would. Can you believe it, dearie?" She turns back to glance at the boy who stands just behind her.

He does not respond; instead, he only continues to stare at me, as though he is trying to tell me something.

Suddenly the cottage around me fades, as well as the witch before me. All I see around me is a smoky fog, pale green in color. From somewhere I hear a roaring of water. I turn around to gather my bearings and there he is, the boy who was standing behind Maleficent.

"What are you doing to me?" I ask, doing my best to stay calm.

"I brought you into a waking dream; I had to warn you before she puts the curse into effect," he murmurs, still staring at me so intensely.

"Curse? What are you talking about? Just what are you two planning, and why would you want to warn me?"

He makes a low humming sound. "She is planning to curse you, to make you forget everyone you know and love. Then, once she has you where she wants you, she will place you under a sleeping curse."

"A sleeping curse?" I ask, thinking about it. "That actually does not sound too terrible. I quite enjoy sleep."

He shakes his head, his dark hair waving around him. "You do not understand. This will not be a restful, quiet slumber. You will be trapped within your own mind as dark nightmares torment you hour upon hour, day by day for eternity."

"Oh. That does not sound so good." My face falls and I start to panic again.

"It will not be. There is no escaping this fate, either. Unless..."

"Unless what? Is there a way around it?"

"...Unless true love's kiss touches your lips – only this will set you free. And I am going to help you."

"What's in it for you?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"Oh, I have my reasons." His eyes give away nothing, but he smirks just a little. It is extremely annoying. But if he truly wishes to help me, he could be my only chance to escape this fate, regardless of how risky it is to trust him.

"I don't trust you. Why should I let you help me?" I ask warily, voicing my concern.

"First, love, you do not let me - I am helping you of my own free will, and I will continue to do so whether you like it or not. Secondly, you do not have much of a choice, now do you?"

I sigh. He's cocky and irksome – but he's got a good point, stating just what I have been thinking ever since he brought me into this dream. "Well, you're not wrong. So, what's your plan then?"

"We will have to allow Maleficent to take your memory."

"What? I thought you said you were trying to help me. How is sitting back and letting me be cursed considered helping?"

"Sorry, Aurora. There is no way around it, for I must make her believe she still has me under her control. But once she does curse you, I can find you again and make sure that you in turn meet your true love – for the witch will most certainly send you and that boy to different places, in hopes that you never meet. But my magic can help you find your love again, and then he in turn will be able to lift your sleeping curse. Perhaps a kiss from your true love might even lift your memory curse as well, if you fall for him under your spell."

"How will I find him though?" I ask. "You said you have magic to find people...how does that actually work?"

He clenches his gloves hands. "I have powerful magic; finding spells are nothing compared to the darker magic. Besides, doesn't love always find a way?"

I feel like he is mocking me, and he is only giving me vague answers, but I let it be so I can ask another question weighing on my mind. "Magic and true love, got it. But...you said that you want her to believe you are still under her control. I thought you were her partner. Does that mean you are not? Or are you something else to her?"

"He studies me in a new interest, as though fascinated. "I'm surprised you figured it out. You're right that I am something else to her. I am her son – yet she keeps me by her side only because I amuse her and she enjoys having an intelligent henchman, as opposed to those blundering imps she keeps and enslaves. Also, she wants an heir...yet at the same time she refuses to share her secrets, for she knows that at the slightest opportunity I would use everything I would learn to bring her down...as I have been doing quite recently. She hid all her secret spells from me - all the darkest and most terrifying, in hopes that I would not grow to be as powerful as she. But I still learned each one, though she never knew."

Wow. That is quite a speech; I suppose he has a lot of burdens. If he is being honest, that is. "Do you think you could defeat her?"

"Not alone." He meets my eyes. "I need you as a distraction. Her greed for revenge will drive her to any length. Perhaps while she is paying more attention to destroying you, then she will be blind to what I have planned."

"That sounds like a decent plan, as much as I hate being the bait," I mutter. "ill I remember this conversation?" I ask.

"Probably not. I am unsure," he replies with a shrug. "I have never seen this particular curse at play before."

"Well, then, why did you even bring me here in the first place, if there's a chance I won't even remember this conversation ever happened?"

"The mind retains much, Aurora, even under a memory curse. Besides, I can always remind you."

"Oh, fine. Whatever," I mutter.

He gives me an uncertain glance. "Correct me if I am wrong, for I do not know the ways of women well. But if a woman says both 'whatever' and 'fine' at once...isn't that a bad thing?"

"Normally, yes. In this case, most definitely," I reply before nodding briefly to show I'm ready, or as ready as I will ever be.

He steps toward me as though he wants to say something – a slight hint of vulnerability. But before I can decide whether I am right he retreats a step, and his face becomes a quiet mask once more. "When we return, give no sign that anything is different. She must not know that we have spoken." Then the green fog surrounds me, pushing me further away, and I see nothing.

*

I blink open my eyes and I am sprawled on the dark cottage floor once more. My prince is still unconscious beneath me, and Maleficent is staring down at me, still gloating. "Now, say your final goodbyes, dearie. You will never remember the love of your life ever again, which means that when I decide to place you under the sleeping curse you will never wake – for who will grant you true love's kiss?" She laughs harshly once more and raises her staff; seeing this, I cry out in horror and scurry backwards as lightning, thunder, and green magic – the same sort of strange fog I saw earlier in the vision with Maleficent's son – emerge from the orb.

I attempt to rouse my love, but he is still under a deep sleep; then I frailly attempt to raise him up and support his weight, which also fails. "I promise I will find you…" I breathe, knowing there is now no escape. I cannot leave him, and the magic is closing in on us, the witch's laughter growing louder and more triumphant.

I glance up at the strange boy standing behind Maleficent, and he is staring at me blankly. When he catches my eye his expression does not reveal anything except for a small change in his eyes: the intensity I remember from the dream is there again. I stare back at him, trying to send a message.

You had better not betray me. Find me soon.

Then I turn back to the boy I love. With only seconds left, I decide that the last thing I want to do before I forget the love of my life is at least to have one kiss. So I lean down quickly and press my lips against his as the magic encircles us. I glanced once more at the boy with magic, and he watches me still, very intensely. Then his voice echoes in my mind just a moment before the magic hits me.

Love, I am doing this for you. I will find you soon and bring back your memories. Do not fear; you will not go alone.

My eyes widen and I stare up at him. My last sight is of his dark, piercing eyes just before everything goes dark.

*

"Rose! Rose! Briar Rose, where are you!" The three fairies cry out, fearful for their charge. Fauna flits up to Flora, a worried frown across her soft features. "Flora, do you…do you think that it finally has happened? That Malef -"

"Hush, Fauna." Flora places her hand over Fauna's mouth, silencing her. "The trees have ears. She is very powerful in dark magic, and we do not want to even think her name. And as for what happened to Rose, we must stay positive. If we cannot find her, then there is no hope left for any of us."

"I'd sure like to find that evil bully and give her a piece of my mind. I'd sure show her!" Fumed Merryweather, who broods silently alongside her counterparts.

"Yes, yes, of course you would, Merryweather," Flora entertains the blue fairy absentmindedly, then suddenly bursts through the air, accidentally shoving Merryweather backwards in the process. "That's it! We should check the cottage once more! She might have returned, or…or the worst could have happened. But let us go and find out, for Rose's sake and for the king and queen's sake!"

"Oh, let her be all right!" Fauna prays desperately before flying after her two friends.

The cottage is dark and empty, just as they left it when Rose first disappeared. Fauna and Merryweather scurry around, searching quietly for any sign of Rose, but Flora pauses in the doorway, as though sensing something within the main sitting room.

"Fauna! Merryweather!" She whispers harshly, calling them to pause as well. The two scurry closer, frowning curiously.

"What is it, Flora?"

Flora turns her gaze left and right, studying the room, then closes her eyes. Finally, she opens them and looks to her friends. "Dark magic was used in this room. A curse."

"No! Not Rose! No, no, no!" Fauna places her hands to her face in horror, but Flora shakes her head.

"No, not the spindle spell…at least, not yet anyway. But there was a spell cast here, and quite recently for that matter. Within the last hour, I'd wager. Yes…a forgetting spell. She made Rose forget something. Perhaps that boy she loved. If it was…lands alive, that witch is smart."

"What are you talking about?" Asks Merryweather, as she becomes tangled in a strange fight with a floating broom in the sitting room's corner.

"What I am saying is that Malef - the witch made Rose forget that boy she said she loves. If she remembers not the one whom she loves, and he remembers her not, who will wake her when the sleeping curse is cast? Who will save our Rose?"

"We will!" Cries Merryweather, right before falling on her face as the broom literally sweeps her off her feet. "We can still save her!"

"You're right!" Flora's eyes gleam with hope. "We can cast a spell so that the two do meet again. If they truly loved each other before, they will fall for each other yet again, and we can guide him to her side if the witch succeeds in the other spell. We can only hope this works. She may be engaged to a prince, our Rose…but like it or not, this boy from the woods is our only hope."


Hope everyone enjoyed! See ya in the next chapter!