Chapter 15:
Bella and Emma stood nervously in the elevator that Graham was helping Gold move down. They couldn't hear anything yet and hoped that Maleficent would be asleep. Attached at their waist, there was a talkie walkies so they could call upstairs for reinforcements if necessary.
"Even if she was before we came down, I'm sure this elevator is making even more noise downstairs. I mean, according to Gold it's a cave, so there must be a big echo…" Bella shook her head, trying to stay realistic.
"You're right. I can't believe we're going to have to fight and kill a dragon like in movies." Emma nodded.
"We don't have to kill her, maybe we can reason with her and ask her to give us the egg. I mean, as soon as magic is back she'll be human again and free."
"But she's a villain." Emma argued.
"So is Gold, and we gave him another chance. He's trying to change, I don't see why she couldn't. Everyone deserves a chance to change and become a better person. I strongly believe that anyone can become a good person given the proper motivation." Bella replied.
"Are you including Regina in this?" Emma asked her doubtfully.
"I'm sure that, given the proper motivation, even she could change, but right now let's concentrate on Maleficent. One villain at a time." Bella stated.
"You really want to try and give her a chance?" Emma asked her.
"I do. I feel that it's important." Bella nodded.
"Very well then, let's do it and give her a chance. I'll let you do the talking, you're better at this." Emma smiled.
She knew that it was always better for them to listen to Bella's instinct.
"You'll see, we'll be fine. We might not even need the swords."
"How do you want to get the egg out if we don't cut it out?" Emma asked her, confused.
"Your father had her swallow it so technically she should be able to throw it up while in her Dragon form." Bella replied.
"But why hasn't she done it until now?"
"Maybe because she knew someone would try and take it and she'd lose her only advantage. She's smart, she knows that as long as she has it, she can use it to get what she wants."
"True. But… hum… What if she already got it out, you know, on the other side?" Emma nodded just when the double door finally opened to let them out of the elevator and the thought had them stop.
"You mean like, if she pooped it?" Bella asked her with a disgusted frown on her face.
"Yes. After all, she did swallow it so it could have eventually gone out, right?" Emma explained her line of thoughts.
"I… The egg has to be large, if it did get out that way, it has to have hurt… I… Let's not think about it and just try to talk to her." Bella shook her head as they both stepped out of the elevator and found themselves face to face with a large dragon that appeared very angry.
"Maleficent? My name is Bella and this is Emma. We don't want to hurt you, we just want to get the egg out, the one that Charming hide inside you."
In response, Maleficent roared angrily, sending fire near them although Bella notice that she only reacted after hearing Charming's name.
"She doesn't seem too eager to help." Emma commented as they stepped quickly out of the way.
Emma got her father's sword out, ready to use it while Bella waited a while longer and stepped closer to Maleficent, in front of Emma.
"Maleficent, I know you're angry, I totally understand. But if you help us get this egg out, you'll be able to get back to your human form and to step out with the rest of us, you'll have a second chance at a normal life. I promise you that we'll help you if you help us get this egg." Bella spoke as calmly as she could and managed to calm down Maleficent who stayed still in front of them, waiting for whatever Bella had to say next.
"Even Regina won't be able to lock you back up, she doesn't have the power anymore." Emma added.
"Do you think you can throw the egg back up?" Belle asked Maleficent who nodded her large dragon's head and started moving her stomach and throat, making disgusting noises with as she did it.
After about 10 minutes, the egg fell on the ground in front of them, surrounded by transparent liquid.
"Urg, this is disgusting. The things you have to do to be the savior around here…" Emma shook her head as she grabbed the egg while Bella rushed to help a freshly human Maleficent.
"It does feel nice not to have this in my stomach anymore. Thank you." Maleficent told Bella and Emma.
"You're welcome. I was serious too, you won't be locked up, this is a chance at a new beginning for you. I'll help you adjust." Bella told her.
"Thank you, I haven't had the chance to know anything of this town. I mean, I did hear bits and pieces from down there, Regina even came down here to talk to me once in a while but it wasn't very often and I only heard what she wanted to tell me." Maleficent replied.
"And I'm sure it was edited to fit whatever she wanted you to know. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, Emma Swan." Emma nodded.
"I don't remember you two from before. Who were you back in the Enchanted Forest?" The woman dragon asked them.
"We weren't there. My father sent me in this world to protect me and made sure I'd stay close to Emma and Emma was sent here by her parents when she was a baby so she'd break Regina's curse because Rumpelstiltskin made it so she'd be the only one able to break it, so she'd be the savior."
"Who are your parents?" She asked the two of them.
"Bella doesn't know hers, it's a long story I'm sure she'll be happy to tell you. Mine are Snow White and Prince Charming." Emma replied.
"Them?" Maleficent spat, taking one step back from Emma and suddenly looking angry and hurt.
"What's wrong?" Bella asked her.
"What they did to me, I'll never forget and never forgive. They're worst than the monster I was supposed to be back then."
"What do you mean? What did they do to you?" Emma asked her, confused.
Then, trying to keep her calm and stay in her human form, Maleficent explained to the two young women what had happened between her and Emma's parents. How she went to them to try and stop the curse, how they betrayed her to get an answer for themselves and learned that their daughter had a great potential for darkness, how they got rid of it by putting it in Maleficent's child and how her baby girl was sucked into a portal without her.
Emma was shocked and obviously angry at her parents. She understood why they'd want her to be rid of the darkness but the way they did it wasn't right and she couldn't help but be angry at them. Especially at her mother. Maleficent had offered for them to work together and stop the curse before it was even cast and Snow had refused, just because Maleficent was Evil at the time. Hadn't she heard of second chances? Was she really this small minded?
"Everything alright down there? Emma?" David's voice resonated from the device on her waist.
"We're fine David. We'll be up in a minute." Emma replied in a cold voice.
"Emma…" Bella started to say but her friend cut her off:
"I can't believe they did this to someone else's child… I'm so sorry Maleficent. Right now we're looking to help Gold, I mean Rumpelstiltskin, find his son but as soon as that's done, I promise to help you look for your daughter. I will do my best to make up for what they did." Emma promised the sorceress.
"Thank you. I promise in return not to try and get my revenge on your parents. I'll do my best to stay away from them." Maleficent told Emma with a smile.
"You're not as evil as you're made out to be." Bella let out and made Maleficent chuckle.
Seeing that Emma was still angry, Bella called their friends upstairs and told them that they were ready to be pulled up, not telling them yet that they weren't alone.
"You know, in a way, I understand why they did it… I don't approve of the way they did it but I understand why they would make sure their child had a pure heart, especially in their position. Being royalty and a hero, it wouldn't look good if their first born child turned out to be the next big evil of the land." Maleficent told Emma while Bella told August that they were ready to be pulled back up and that Maleficent was with them and not to be harmed.
"I understand that too, but they lied. They pretend they're good people when in reality they ruined someone's life. Your baby was as innocent as I was. There's no excuse for what they did to you and to your daughter. They could have found another way." Emma replied.
"You can't close yourself up Emma… They're your parents, they only wanted to do what's best. Everyone makes mistakes, even them." Bella told her best friend.
"They shouldn't have lied." Emma shook her head and even though Bella knew that her friend would forgive her parents eventually, she also knew that it could take some time and that she needed to let them deal with it, she couldn't find herself in the middle of this argument.
Slowly, the elevator went up and Bella could see that Maleficent was nervous.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Bella reassured her.
"I hope so. I just want a fresh start and a chance to find my daughter." She replied.
"And you'll have it. Everyone gets a second chance here. I'll help you find a place to stay and maybe even a job." Bella offered.
"Thank you. With everything that's happened the past few decades… I just want to forget my jealousy and anger and be happy. Prepare for when I find my daughter again." Maleficent replied.
"I'll help you. Maybe Archie will even be able to help you, he's a therapist and he's good at his job. I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll even make friends, I know it." Bella replied with a bright smile.
"It's hard to doubt when you're the one saying it." The dragon sorceress chuckled.
"Don't I know it. Bella has a way of knowing things. If her instinct tells her that you'll be fine, then it means that you'll truly be fine." Emma agreed.
Before they could speak any more, the elevator stopped moving and the doors opened to reveal Gold, Graham, August and David.
"Everything okay?" David asked nervously while they gave the golden egg to Gold who smiled and walked away with it, followed by Belle, to pour it in the well.
"If you want to know if she told me about what you and Mary-Margaret did to her child, then yes, she did. And yes, I'm angry. By the way, I won't be home tonight, I need to calm down. I'll pick Henry up for school and he won't be home either. Don't wait up." Emma replied angrily before she grabbed Graham's hand and walked away, needing his presence to calm down and feeling the need to share with him what she had just learned.
"Maleficent… I…" David tried to say, looking for the right words.
"Don't worry Charming, I promised Bella that I wouldn't look for revenge. All I want is a second chance and my daughter. I won't look for trouble but you and your wife should avoid me nonetheless. Though I understand why you did it, I don't approve of the methods you used and I'm not ready to forgive and forget just yet." Maleficent told David before she let Bella and August guide her outside, to the world she had heard for 28 years and was finally able to be a part of.
.
Gold and Belle quickly made their way to the well, first with the car and then by hiking there for a bit. Once in front of it, the Dark One opened the vial he had taken from the golden egg and poured it down the stone magical well. Immediately, a light purple, almost pink, smoke filled the air around them and expended through the entire town, dissipating after a few second and leaving magic behind it.
"So, do you feel it? Do you have magic now?" Belle asked her love.
"I do. It's different here but I'll be fine. We'll be fine." He replied with a nod.
"What about Regina?" Belle asked worriedly.
"It will take her a while to understand how magic works in this world, long enough for us to find a solution to take it from her or lock her up somewhere she won't be able to use it. Don't worry, I won't let her go after you." Gold replied.
.The Sorcerer's thoughts.
As I watched my daughter and Maleficent sit down at Granny's, I couldn't help but be even prouder. She had given Maleficent a second chance and promised to help her find her daughter, of course it won't be easy, especially since Lilly is angry at everyone and has her own agenda when it comes to her mother but I'm confident that it will all be okay.
Looking to the side, I could see David driving back to School to pick up his wife. The look on his face expressed quite clearly his distress over Emma's reaction and I knew that if it had been up to him, he would have agreed to help Maleficent and the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest would have been happy and safe.
The truth is, Snow has always had a big potential for making bad decisions. She tries so hard to do the right thing and be good to make her deceased mother proud without knowing all the facts that she ends up causing more harm than good. She's afraid of ending up doing something wrong and turn her heart dark and in the end, she does the wrong thing, or she does the right think but in the wrong way. Her heart might be in the right place but she doesn't listen to it enough.
Hopefully, her daughter and mine will be able to fix her mistakes and, in the future, help her be less afraid. I also hope that they teach David to speak up more about his opinions. If Snow listened to him she wouldn't make quite so many mistakes.
I hope you liked it. Please tell me what you think of the way things are going. Do you think Maleficent will be redeemed or will she go back to her evil ways?
Review please
Lorelei Candice Black